


I’m Not Okay

by TwistedIllusions



Series: The Hardest Part of This Is Leaving You [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Drug Withdrawal, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Drama, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Klaus Hargreeves Deserves Better, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Klaus Hargreeves Needs Help, Klaus Hargreeves Whump, Major character death - Freeform, Protective Siblings, Sibling Bonding, Sibling drama, Sick Fic, Sick Klaus Hargreeves, Terminally Ill Klaus Hargreeves, Tragedy, mystery diagnosis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2020-12-01 21:58:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 43,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20911856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwistedIllusions/pseuds/TwistedIllusions
Summary: They stopped the apocalypse. Unfortunately, for Klaus, that didn’t mean that things would change for the better. Even though he felt he put forth his best efforts, his family evidently did not. When withdrawal symptoms bare down hard on Klaus, his family doesn’t seem to notice. Or, they simply don’t care. When time goes on and his symptoms only seem to get worse, Klaus is suddenly faced with the harsh realization that maybe this is more than just withdrawals...maybe he’s not okay.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is the first story I have written in nearly 10 years so PLEASE go easy on me guys, I am super rusty! This is my first time writing anything for The Umbrella Academy as well. I hope you enjoy!!
> 
> Quick note: In this story the academy is still standing and was not destroyed and Grace is still alive. Pogo is not. Sorry. I wrote this entire story in a week and a half on a whim and that is just how it turned out! I know it’s not exact to the show and I apologize for that! It’s just how my brain worked it while I wrote!
> 
> See bottom of each chapter for any additional notes. Thank you!

They had done it. The apocalypse had been averted. Five was able to jump them all back just seconds before they were engulfed in flames. His strength to carry not only himself, but all of his siblings with him didn’t allow him much wiggle room as far as distance. He was only able to jump them back to just 5 minutes before the end of everything.

Vanya held her brothers up in her glowing blue tendrils, literally sucking their life force from them. It was all on Allison now. She remembered from just moments ago that the bullet did indeed stop Vanya from killing their siblings, but it was ineffective at stopping the apocalypse. But she had an idea.

She didn’t have much time to act. Instead of shooting the bullet past her ear, Allison dropped the gun; the sound momentarily distracting Vanya just enough to drop their brothers from Vanya’s powerful grasp. Allison launched herself forward and did what she should have done long ago: she enveloped her sister in a long overdue hug.

The embrace completely caught Vanya by surprise. Her blue eyes widened as she tensed against her sisters embrace but eventually softened, returning the gesture. She closed her eyes tight allowing a tear to roll down her pale cheeks. She blinked the tears away displaying eyes that were no longer blue, but had returned to their original brown color.

“I’m so sorry..” Vanya whispered into Allison’s ear.

Allison just pulled her sister away momentarily to look into her eyes with her own tear filled ones. She flashed her a smile and nodded with understanding before pulling her back into a warm hug.

Both sisters cried.

They had done it. It was over!

Luther was the first of the boys to stand and make his way tentatively towards his sisters. He shot Vanya an apologetic glance to which she nodded and extended her arm for him to join the embrace.

Diego and Klaus helped their exhausted brother Five to his feet and led him to where their siblings were huddled together and joined in the hug.

It was over.

They could go home.

Unfortunately, while they did save the world it became painfully obvious to Klaus that not much had changed.

Sure, he summoned Ben and helped save his siblings from the masked shooters from the commission. He thought that maybe, just maybe that would cause them to have a little more respect for him and treat him like part of the family, finally. But he was wrong.

Moments after returning to the academy, Klaus exclaimed how proud he was of everyone. Allison especially! Luther shot him a death glare to which Klaus questioned him.

“What?” He asked face contorted in confusion.

“What the hell happened back there, _lookout_?” Luther prodded angrily, jabbing an accusatory finger into Klaus’s chest, knocking the boy back a step.

“Excuse me?” Klaus looked at Luther, mouth agape and wide eyed, “I think you mean ‘_Good job Klaus, conjuring Ben really helped us out Klaus, good job really honing in on your powers Klaus!_’” He threw his hands in the air, turning towards his other siblings. “Is he serious right now?” Klaus’s expression just darkened more at the look on all of his siblings faces.

“Well..he has a point.” Started Diego.

“You should have paid attention. Had you done your job in the first place, keeping watch, the shootout could have been avoided all together.” Five finished.

“You’re joking, right? Please tell me you’re joking!” Klaus let out an exasperated laugh, “Sure I didn’t do a great job as ‘the lookout’ but I more than made up for it in conjuring Ben! He saved all of your asses!” His siblings just stared at him. Allison shot him an apologetic glance but averted her gaze. He couldn’t believe it.

He finally thought that he did something special, something fucking _right_, he was proud as hell of himself. It wasn’t easy, either. He was physically exhausted after, but he kept trying to help in whatever ways possible. He didn’t ask to be the lookout. He didn’t ask to be in this family either! Klaus just laughed and shook his head, eyes focused to the ground.

“Fine, you’re right. You’re all always right. I’m so selfish. Yup, that’s me! Selfish, stupid self-absorbed Klaus! Once a screw up, always a screw up.” He shook his head again in disappointment then tilted his head upward, towards the space where the chandelier once hung on the academy ceiling. He smiled a sad crooked smile then rolled his eyes, rolling his head back to a forward position.

He opened his mouth to speak but closed it immediately, pursing his lips into a tight sad smile. He blinked his eyes rapidly a few times to ensure no tears would shed in front of his siblings.

He was exhausted, and just over everything right now.

Over the apocalypse, over _them_.

He needed some fresh air. He turned and walked out of the academy’s front doors without another word.

“Klaus, wait!” Vanya called and started to follow him, but Luther cast his arm in front of her chest to stop her.

“Let him go. He’ll be back.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to give you guys chapter two now! :)
> 
> I’ll probably post chapter updates on Wednesday’s and Saturday’s (or one or the other depending on what’s going on that day) 
> 
> Please, I hope you enjoy!! :)

Klaus walked and walked through the town. He passed buildings he was familiar with: Dingy motels where he would hook up with random strangers for a night just for a bed to sleep in, old dive bars where he would dig through the trash for anything he could consider a meal, alley ways he would frequent for drugs.

_Drugs..._

Klaus couldn’t help but want a hit of something, _anything_ right now. He was only what, a day and a half, maybe two days sober? His skin was still crawling with temptation for the sweet bliss he found with a drag of weed, or a line of coke. Shit, even heroin sounded like a great time to him right now. Or pills, he could almost still feel the sensation of one of those beautiful pills of ecstasy on his tongue..

He shook his head at the thought though. No, he had something much more important to him than drugs.

_Dave..._

He so desperately wanted Dave at this moment. To feel his warm skin pressed against his own, breathe in his sweet aroma of sweat and musk. To feel the exhale of his breath on his lips, begging for entry for his tongue. His often slightly chapped, and yet sensually soft lips on his, hear his beautiful voice...

Klaus wiped a stray tear from his eyes. He needed to see Dave. _Craved_ him, more than any drug he’d ever done. He knew he was an addict; maybe it was time for him to focus that addictive energy on something useful. Klaus knew at that moment what he had to do. He needed to focus, get his head on straight, really delve deep into his power.

He had been unsuccessful thus far at conjuring Dave, but maybe it’s because his powers just aren’t refined enough! Reggie did say that he had only just scratched the surface of his potential, maybe dear olé dad was right!

‘_I don’t need my family, all I need is Dave._’ He thought to himself. Klaus turned to Ben who was walking silently beside him. Always loyal, his brother Ben. His one and only confidant in this entire world. He knew that Ben would help him. If he could harness the ability to conjure his brother, surely he could eventually conjure Dave, right?

He just needed to figure out how he keeps doing it. He exchanged a tired smile with Ben. Klaus didn’t say anything though, he just trudged forward further into town, and further from the Academy. His feet ached from how far he had walked, his entire body felt sore and heavy.

Suddenly, Klaus was overwhelmed with a heavy blanket of fatigue and swayed on his feet. He reached out a steadying hand against a wall to the pawn shop they were walking past and stopped walking, pressing both of his hands and his forehead to the building; the harsh texture from the brick biting into his skin. He clenched his eyes shut, a dizzying wave of nausea overtaking him.

“Klaus, are you okay?” Ben came to his side and reached to put a hand on his back, hovering without touching since his hand would never make contact to his flesh. Klaus took a few shaky breaths before he straightened up once the nausea passed. He was so exhausted from the day's events.

The apocalypse was one thing, but conjuring Ben had left him totally drained, he never got a real chance to recuperate from that. Then the time travel to fix their apocalypse mistake, and the fight with his family - what was he thinking just taking off and heading across town. He should have dragged his ass upstairs and gone to bed.

That’s where he wished he was now, not here. Not in the middle of the city, probably a good 30 minute walk from home. He didn’t remember how far he actually walked. He just walked...

“You look terrible man, maybe we should go home?”

Klaus looked at Ben with drooping eyes. He honestly didn’t know if he could make it all the way home. He was just so exhausted. He nodded in agreement though and turned around, heading the direction of the academy.

He felt like he was walking forever. The sun was already starting to rise above the horizon of the city limits. Klaus guessed he must have walked further than he thought. His feet felt like lead, each step incredibly taxing on his body. The temperature dropped quite a bit that night, low into the 30’s and Klaus only wore his leather lace up pants, his army vest with a tank top, and Dave’s dog tags. He shivered as he ran his hands up and down his bare arms.

“We are almost there, only a few more steps. Man, you need to rest.” Ben glanced at Klaus worriedly.

He had been walking for a couple of hours. He knew his brother was tired from the day's events, and didn’t understand why he didn’t just go upstairs instead of out in the first place. It was careless of him, why exhaust himself more?

And poor Klaus, the last 40 minutes or so he was moving at a glacial pace. Ben tried to get him to call Diego to pick him up, but Klaus refused to call on any of his siblings for help.

Klaus finally reached the academy. He opened the gate and made it about halfway up the steps before his legs just gave out on him. He collapsed right there at the front entrance.

“Klaus!” Ben ran to his side. Klaus was sprawled on the steps panting heavily, his eyes open into slits, “Come on Klaus, please get up. You can make it inside. You need to get inside to warm up and sleep!” Klaus groaned but staggered to his feet, “There you go, you got this!”

He finished climbing the steps before he opened the door and was greeted by the warm embrace of the heated air inside the academy. He closed the door behind him. Klaus leaned against the door for a moment to regain his breath, the warm air stung his chilled lungs. He looked around. Luckily everyone must still be asleep. He swallowed his saliva and made his way towards the staircase that led to their bedrooms.

He was just so fucking tired, but he refused to sleep on the couch. He wanted to crawl into his bed under his thick comforter and just sleep for the rest of his life. It took literally every ounce of his energy to make it up the stairs, his hands gripped the bannister with all his power, knuckles turning white from the pressure of his grip.

He nearly collapsed again when he reached the top, but he steadied himself. Just a few more feet, he could make it! His head spun dizzily as he stumbled into his bedroom. Jesus, was he still going through withdrawals?

Klaus’s body gave out on him as soon as he made it to his bed. He didn’t even pull his blankets over himself, he fell asleep as soon as his body sprawled on top of his mattress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go guys!! The chapters are slowly picking up now.. this one was a tiny bit longer (although the next chapter is the longest in the entire story so keep an eye out for that later this week!) I promise it just gets more and more interesting starting next chapter!!
> 
> Please, if you enjoyed, let me know! Comments make my heart sing! I love hearing your thoughts and opinions!! 
> 
> Thank you everyone who has given kudos, subscribed, commented and bookmarked so far! You guys are awesome!! Thank you so much!!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I swear I will usually only post 2 chapters per week! I just felt like I needed to give you all a little something more to wet your whistles ;)
> 
> I probably will not post again until Sunday though.. I hope anyways. I can’t keep posting too much at once I need it to last for a bit, build up the suspense lol
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!
> 
> If you do PLEASE let me know!! Comments make me so unbelievably happy guys!!

It was after 2:00PM when Klaus finally woke up. His body ached from his long day (and night) from yesterday. He still felt tired and groggy.

“Morning, or should I say afternoon sunshine.” Ben greeted him from the foot of his bed. Klaus looked around his room tiredly and groaned.

“How long was I out?”

Ben smiled at him sadly.

“About 7 and a half hours. You slept well for the first hour or so. But, the last few hours you were pretty restless. Tossing and turning. I would have woken you sooner but you needed the rest. How are you feeling today?”

Klaus rubbed his tired eyes and sat up in his bed. He stretched his arms above his head and yawned. He ran his palm with his HELLO tattoo down his face.

“Yesterday really knocked you on your ass hard, huh?” Ben smirked at his sleepy brother.

“Well, if that isn’t the understatement of the year.”

Klaus still felt absolutely wrecked. Yesterday was tough, but honestly this whole week had been one shit storm after the other. Was today his second full day or third full day being sober? He was still feeling some lasting effects from his withdrawal. Now that the apocalypse was done and over with he could focus on feeling better.

He clenched his eyes shut as a bout of nausea arose. He curled his fingers into his shirt above his belly and groaned while Ben shot him a sympathetic glance.

“Withdrawals still?”

Klaus could only nod in response, worried that if he opened his mouth he would vomit right there. A knock on his door startled him and he jumped causing him to wince at the discomfort it caused his upset belly.

“Klaus,” it was Vanya, “It’s getting late, are you up?” She peaked her head in the door.

Klaus just looked at her. In some ways he resented his sister. She was literally the cause of the apocalypse and his siblings all forgave her, welcomed her with open arms. He failed as a look out, sure, but he more than made up for it and his entire family looked at him like he tortured and killed a cat. He shouldn’t be mad at her though, it wasn’t her fault and she honestly didn’t mean to do it. Vanya was innocent here. He shouldn’t be mad at her.

“You hungry? Diego made waff—“

“No thanks. Not hungry. Thanks for the offer though.” Klaus interrupted. Vanya took in Klaus’s disheveled appearance. The bags under his eyes, the way he seemed to be clenching his teeth, the way he was holding his stomach.

“You okay?” She asked, genuine concern on her face. Klaus smiled at her. At least one of his living siblings seemed to give a shit about him.

“M’fine, just not hungry. I ate way too much last night when I went out. Have a bit of a stomach ache is all. I’ll be right as rain in a little bit!” He lied.

“You didn’t eat last night! Actually, you didn’t eat anything yesterday at all. You got what, one bite of your burrito from that food truck before you tossed it when we ran in to warn the others of Cha Cha?” Ben quipped.

Klaus shot Ben a death glare before another wave of nausea hit him. He clenched his eyes shut and took a deep shaky breath in, slowly exhaling from his mouth.

“Well, if you change your mind I’ll save you a plate.” She paused to look at Klaus again, “Um, feel better, okay?” With that Vanya shot him a half smile then left. Klaus kept his eyes clenched shut and covered his hand over his mouth. Ben looked at Klaus and sighed.

“She’s gone.” He stated.

Klaus shot up from his bed and sprinted into his bathroom. He knelt down in front of the toilet, wrapping his hands around the cool porcelain seat and expelled the contents of his stomach into the bowl. Ben was right, he hadn’t eaten all day yesterday. Just a few pieces of popcorn and a bite of a burrito. Why was he so nauseous?

Curse these damn withdrawals!

His stomach lurched again, bile and stomach acid vacating his belly. He gagged and dry heaved a couple times more before the nausea finally subsided.

“Better?” Ben asked as he leaned against the doorframe of the bathroom. Klaus spit into the toilet, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand before coughing once more and flushing the toilet.

“Much.” He cleared his throat then stood up, washing his hands in the sink and cupping a sip of water into his palms to swish and spit out.

“Gross, I’m so glad I don’t have a sense of smell anymore.” Ben held his nose anyways. Muscle memory, perhaps.

“Hey, Ben,” Klaus exited the bathroom and went to his wardrobe to grab an outfit for the day. He landed on a black velvet pair of capris and a charcoal gray band T-shirt that he cut the sleeves off of, “I want to practice my powers.” He cleared his throat.

“I want to master this whole ‘Conjuring’ thing. Will you help me?” He asked as he sat on his bed and slipped off his shirt from yesterday and slipped his fresh one on.

“Of course, dude! You know I’m always down to show my face! Smack ya around a bit, if necessary!” He winked. Klaus smiled and laughed which caused him to cough. He cleared his throat.

“Yuck, fucking puke making my throat all scratchy.” He cleared his throat again, “But, ooh, goody!“ he smiled and clapped his hands together. “Thank you Benny my boy! Can’t wait to prove them wrong. I’m not useless!” Ben looked at Klaus with a sad expression.

“Don’t let them bother you. What you did was amazing, you were more help than Luther was! I think he’s just jealous of how badass you were!” Klaus smiled back at Ben and chuckled a bit.

“Pfft, we were pretty bad ass, you and I! I mean, did you see the look on their faces when they saw you?” Klaus mimicked a surprised dumbfounded face, “Ben?!” He chortled which sent him into a mini coughing fit. Ben’s smile faltered.

“Maybe we should give you a day or two to rest before we practice your powers. You sure you’re feeling okay?” He looked at Klaus with a worried expression. Klaus just shook his head and cleared his throat once more.

“Nonsense, I’m fine! Fit as a 3 day sober fiddle!” Klaus slipped out of his pants from last night, feigning embarrassment by covering himself with them as he let out an exaggerated feminine gasp, “Benjamin! My word, look away! I need some privacy!” He smirked and continued to put on his new pants as Ben sighed while shaking his head. Ben ran his fingers through his hair.

“Okay, okay. Fine.”

Klaus shot him a huge toothy grin before starting to head out of his door.

“Excellent! To the courtyard!” He pointed his hand towards the direction he was walking and marched forward. Ben just rolled his eyes and followed him.

Klaus, always the character!

They made their way down the staircase together. The smell of waffles and maple syrup wafted in the air, filling Klaus’s nostrils.

“Man, didn’t Vanya say Diego made waffles? Ugh, what I wouldn’t give to have one!” Ben licked his lips.

Waffles were always Ben and Klaus’s favorite food. Klaus wished that Ben could partake in the meal, he really came through for the family and kicked some serious butt yesterday.

He deserved a treat.

Klaus had to admit that while it smelled divine, it kind of made his stomach feel a little queasy. He was ready for these damn withdrawal symptoms to go away. Feeling sick and tired is really a downer. Klaus’s steps came to an abrupt halt, his ecstatic gaze meeting Ben’s as a brilliant idea popped into his head.

“Ben, if I conjure you do you think you could taste the waffles?” Ben looked at Klaus, his eyes knit together in thought.

“You know, the logic in my mind is saying no, probably not. But, I mean, it doesn’t hurt to try, right? Are we going to try? You know I love me some waffles!” Klaus’s grin grew wider as he rubbed his hands together.

“Oh, you bet we are Benny!” Klaus made his way into the kitchen.

Vanya did say she would save Klaus some waffles, right? It would be a pity for those to go to waste. Sure enough on top of the stove sat a plate with two waffles on it. Klaus grabbed the plate and turned to exit the kitchen when Diego entered. Klaus stopped dead in his tracks as did his brother.

“Late night, Klaus? Woke up kinda late today, don’t you think?” Diego smirked and then eyed the plate of waffles in his brother's hand.

“Vanya said you weren’t hungry. Change your mind?” Klaus looked from Diego to the plate of waffles, and then back to Diego. He pursed his lips together and nodded.

“Yup.” He really wasn’t in the mood to talk to any of his siblings. He walked past Diego, brushing shoulders with him as he left the kitchen. Diego just rolled his eyes.

“You’re welcome, for the waffles by the way!” He called over his shoulder. Klaus just waved his hand in the air dismissively to signify he heard him.

He walked out of the back door and made his way to the Far East corner of the courtyard. It was the most private and secluded place to be on the academy property. It was the best spot for him to sneak smoking joints back when he was a kid, so Klaus knew this spot would serve just fine for him to work on his powers now. Klaus didn’t really want his siblings knowing he was working on his powers, not that they’d really give a damn anyways.

Klaus plopped himself down on the ground under the huge oak tree, setting the plate of waffles down in front of him. He gestured for Ben to sit across from him.

“Number Six, take a seat!” He exclaimed in a comical British voice. Klaus rubbed his hands together and clenched his eyes shut, anxiously tapping the side of his foot against the ground below him.

“You can do it Klaus, just try to remember what happened last night at the theatre. Concentrate.” Ben encouraged him. Klaus blew out the breath he was holding and absorbed what Ben said.

Concentrate. Just concentrate..

Klaus took multiple steady breaths in through his nose, exhaling slowly out through his mouth. He thought back to last night, he tried to remember what was going through his mind, what he was feeling...

He remembered a painful ping in his heart when he heard the gunshots coming from the theatre, and feeling afraid that he let his family down..he was a shitty look out.

He was terrified for their safety...

There was gunfire inside already, but he had to warn them that Cha-Cha was coming. He remembered ducking and dodging bullets, and how his brain and heart instantly brought him back to his time in Vietnam.

_To his time with Dave..._

He remembered how his entire soul went cold, like he was suddenly trapped in an arctic tundra. Then he remembered the sensation in his hands...

It started slow enough, like the tips of his fingers had fallen asleep and were in that uncomfortable tingly phase. Then he remembered how it spread into his hands, eventually wrapping like vines up his forearms. He remembered feeling this intense euphoric feeling overcome him. It was like the best high he ever had in his life (and that’s saying something, considering he spent over 17 years of his life heavily under the influence of anything and everything).

As Klaus thought of everything from the previous night, he could sense it still, he could feel it absorbing him. He could feel the chill wrapping around his spine and digging into his very core, his skin sprouting goosebumps.

_He could feel the tingling in his fingertips..._

“Klaus! You’re doing it!”

Klaus opened his eyes and saw his brother, really saw his brother. Ben was smiling ear to ear, running his fingers through the blades of grass below his body, head tilted back absorbing the warmth from the sun, a cool breeze ruffling his hair, tickling his ears. Klaus smiled at him but stayed focused.

“The waffles..” Klaus spoke softly, he was afraid to break his concentration.

Conjuring Ben was extremely exhausting, he could already feel his heart pounding in his chest, his arms beginning to tremble. He clenched his teeth together. He needed to hold it together so that Ben could enjoy his special breakfast. Ben looked at the plate of waffles and picked it up. He inhaled deeply and his smile grew.

“Oh my God, I can smell them!” Klaus could almost see tears dancing in his brothers eyes.

_He couldn’t remember a time when his brother was more excited..._

Ben picked up one of the waffles with his hands, the syrup dripping down his fingers and cascading down his wrists. Ben chuckled.

“I almost forgot how sticky this stuff is!” Ben hesitated, unsure of if he would be able to taste it or not. He wanted to enjoy this so badly. He reached his tongue out and licked a drop of the maple syrup that started running towards his jacket sleeve and his eyes closed immediately, “Oh my God..it’s even better than I remembered!” Klaus couldn’t help but smile.

He was so happy he could do this for his brother. It sparked more desire in his heart to continue to master his powers. He was excited to do more things with Ben. Maybe he could take him to the ocean, Ben never got to go when he was alive.

This opened up a whole world of possibilities for the two brothers.

It also elated him that if—No, _when_ he is able to conjure Dave what kind of amazing adventures they’ll be able to go on together. Klaus watched as Ben took a huge bite out of one of the waffles.

“Oh God..this is so good.” He moaned out as he took another bite.

Klaus just watched and smiled as Ben ate the first waffle and started to eat the second one. He was really starting to feel the effects from this though..he was getting so tired.

He hated that this took so much energy. Now he knew what Five must feel like when he uses his powers. He always found it strange how he seemed to get tired after just a handful of jumps.

_Now he could understand why..._

This was the longest he had ever conjured Ben before. The theatre only lasted for two, maybe three minutes. Now they were quickly approaching the eight minute mark, and Klaus could feel it deep down in the marrow of his bones.

His breaths were coming out ragged and sharp and his eyelids were becoming heavy, black spots marring his vision. His entire body trembling from exhaustion and the cold from deep within him. He just needed to hold it together long enough for Ben to finish his meal and then he could rest.

Ben ate the final bite of his waffle and chewed it slowly to savor it. He licked each of his fingers and leaned back on the grass. He was so full! He forgot what that felt like.

“Thank you, Klaus! This was amazing, I— Klaus?” Ben sat up and looked at his brother.

His eyes were closed tight and his breathing was raspy, coming in quick rushed gasps. His arms were outstretched in front of his form but they were very visibly shaking. He looked very pale and his lips were a gray hue.

“Klaus! Okay, you can stop now, don’t overexert yourself!” Ben rushed to his brother's side and placed a hand on his shoulder, “Klaus!”

In an instant Klaus’s eyes shot open and Ben’s hand went through his brother's shoulder. Klaus’s body slumped to the ground, panting heavily.

“Jesus Christ, Klaus! You pushed yourself too far!” Ben watched Klaus struggling to compose himself. His brothers trembling limbs and now chattering teeth mixing in with his rushed breaths. “I told you that you should have waited, you didn’t give yourself enough recovery time. Look at you! Are you okay?” Klaus blinked his eyes a few times to try and focus his vision. Everything was spinning..

“Hush..m’fine, just tired. Need a..a minute s’all.”

Ben eyed his brother wearily. Klaus groaned and curled in on himself but he was taking deeper breaths of air to try to calm his breathing and his rampaging heart.

His shaking hands extended out to his sides and he twisted his fingers into the grass, using the ground as leverage to hoist himself upright, settling onto his knees. He struggled, his body shivering and stumbling over his own limbs but he managed to eventually get himself into a seated position with his back pressed firmly against the large grandfather oak tree behind him.

Ben sat beside him and leaned close to look into Klaus’s eyes. He could see the exhausted look on his brother's face. He looked oddly pale and sickly. This worried Ben.

“Dude, seriously, are you okay? Do you need a doctor?” Klaus shook his head and swatted his GOODBYE hand towards his brother.

“Pish-posh!” He swayed briefly before placing his hand back against the ground to steady himself, pinching his eyes shut. Sure, Klaus was tired and wasn’t exactly feeling like he was in peak condition right now. But he was fine.

This power of his is just..._draining_. That’s all. At least that’s what he chose to believe.

After a few moments passed and Klaus could finally breathe at a semi normal rate he turned to Ben and smirked.

“What?” Ben questioned raising an inquisitive eyebrow at his brother.

“Was that your best meal ever, or what?” Klaus shot Ben a tired but genuinely happy smile, which Ben returned.

Both boys sat together smiling and laughing. It was incredibly taxing on his brother, but Ben appreciated the gesture more than he could explain. Words couldn’t express how much it upset Ben when he thought of his family; always passing judgment on Klaus when they barely knew him at all.

Calling him selfish when in fact, Klaus out of each of his siblings was the most selfless, most caring person and would do absolutely anything for _anyone_.

Ben recalled a memory from a time not so long ago when Klaus was homeless, living out on the streets in the outskirts of the city. He remembered one cold night towards the beginning of January. There was a severe weather advisory, heavy snowfall and potential for a blizzard for the area and Klaus couldn’t find a cot to sleep on at any of the local shelters as they were all full to capacity. Klaus begged, pleaded, if he could sleep on the floor in the hallway of one, promising he would only stay the one night and he would be out of the way come morning.

But he was turned away. There simply was no room for him anywhere.

He was forced to stay outside on one of the coldest nights of the year. He remembered how poor Klaus had found an old cardboard box that was damp from the snow, but relatively sturdy. He remembered how he wedged his body as close as he could into the corner of a building, and used the box to shield his body from the harsh winds and unforgiving snow.

Klaus never dressed modestly, even when he should have been dressed in layers of clothing.

That night he wore his typical favorite laced pattern leather pants, black high top converse shoes (notorious for having no insulation to keep your feet warm), a black threadbare t-shirt with a plunging neckline and his patchwork jacket with the fur collar and cuffs.

He was absolutely freezing, and Ben worried that he wouldn’t make it through the night.

But then Ben was surprised when an older gentleman , maybe 60 or 70 years of age, walked down the alley Klaus was in.

He wore more layers than him. Clearly, the man had been homeless for quite some time and had accumulated quite the collection of layers to keep himself warm. However, he still shivered from the cold, blowing into his gloved hands in an attempt to warm his freezing fingers. Who wouldn’t, it was probably close to 5 degrees outside, well below zero with the wind chill. And wouldn’t you know it, Klaus, who had literally nothing to give offered that man to share his box with him, to which the man obliged.

They cozied up in the small cramped space and Klaus even took off his jacket to lay over the two of them. The man was grateful and offered Klaus his earmuffs in thanks.

Klaus didn’t accept the offer though.

“Thank you, really, but you need those! Here, let me help you.” Hands shaking from the cold, Klaus helped the man put his earmuffs back onto his own ears.

The man clearly had Parkinson’s and had a very noticeable tremor, the cold certainly wasn’t helping. The two of them slept through the night in that box, curled up under Klaus’s jacket, huddled together for warmth. Ben was happy that at least he knew this side of his brother, the caring side that no one would probably ever believe existed.

Even now, Klaus pushed himself past the brink of exhaustion. Barely three days into sobriety, still battling the crippling nausea and fatigue that comes with withdrawals just to try and make Ben corporeal. He didn’t even do any of this for himself, but for Ben.

Klaus coughed again and clutched at his abdomen. He clenched his eyes shut for a moment, taking in a deep breath and released a long sigh.

“Shit, I’m pooped,” He smirked, his head lolling towards his brother, “don’t suppose I could.. conjure you again and you could bring me to my bed?” He questioned through his panting. His eyes were barely open. Ben wished at this moment that he could do that for his brother. But conjuring him again wouldn’t be wise. Klaus needed his rest.

“Sorry, bro. No can do,” He shot him a sad smile, “maybe just take a few minutes to compose yourself. Take a break, and in a little bit we can get you inside to bed, yeah?” Klaus nodded his head in agreement.

He closed his eyes and tilted his head back to rest it against the bark of the tree. He sat like that for quite some time, breathing deeply in through his nose and exhaling slowly out through his mouth.

Truth be told he was struggling to stay awake, he just felt so unbearably _tired_. His breathing had finally calmed quite a bit but his heart was still pounding so hard against his rib cage. He could feel his heartbeat in his arms, and in his legs. It was an odd sensation.

A soft breeze kicked up, ruffling Klaus’s curls that clung to his sweat slicked forehead sending a chill down his spine and he shivered.

“Are you cold?” Asked Ben, eyeing his brothers trembling form.

“A little.” Klaus voiced flatly through chattering teeth.

A low rumble of thunder sounded from high above them. Dark clouds seemed to appear out of thin air, blanketing the sky in darkness. The wind picked up speed, whizzing and whirling around the courtyard. Ben looked at the sky in horror. 

A storm, really? Right now?

Klaus was still so exhausted he didn’t know if he would be able to get him to go inside before the rain would start. Ben knew he had to try though. In Klaus’s weakened state he could not afford to sit out in the middle of a storm.

“Klaus, I know you’re still tired but you need to go inside now. It’s going to storm, you’ll catch a cold. Come on man, get up.” Klaus was barely hanging onto consciousness now. He hummed in understanding but he was just so damn tired.

“Ben, lemme sleep..” Ben could only watch in horror as Klaus’s eyes seemed to flutter and close. Was he asleep?!

“No, no, no!! Get up Klaus! Klaus!” Ben watched as a droplet of rain landed on Klaus’s pale cheek. Followed by another, and another.

Soon it was like the flood gates had been released and a thick sheet of rain surrounded the brothers, beating down onto Klaus’s cold exposed skin. Ben was mortified.

This was bad, this was really bad. Klaus could not afford to sit out in this. Ben screamed into his brother's face.

“Klaus, please, you need to go inside! Klaus, please!”

Thank God Klaus opened his eyes not long after the rain started. He leaned himself forward dizzily, scrambling to his feet. He took a few stumbling steps before nearly falling. He steadied himself on the tree. He was so cold..he knew he had to go inside. Deep within himself he found the strength to walk back inside the academy. It seemed like it took forever, he felt like he walked miles in the rain when really it was only a few yards away.

“Yes, Klaus! Good!” Encouraged Ben from beside him. “Let’s get you to bed, yeah?” Klaus nodded tiredly. He could barely keep his eyes open.

He walked into the academy and made his way into the massive living room. Dizziness overtook him, forcing him to sit down on the couch. He all but collapsed onto the sofa, his head resting against the back of it. He just didn’t have the energy to go upstairs to his room right now. The couch would have to do. He knew it shouldn’t take too long for this exhaustion to wear off. He’d just rest his eyes for a few minutes here. Yes, this will do just fine.

“Klaus?” It was Vanya, again, “Klaus, why are you all wet?” For God’s sake, couldn’t he just sleep for a few minutes without something or someone interrupting him?!

“It’s raining.” Klaus barely whispered in response.

“Shouldn’t you go dry off? You’re shivering..” Vanya watched Klaus as he opened his eyes to look at her. He didn’t say anything, just looked at her with tired eyes. Then he shrugged.

“M’fine. Tired..” Klaus laid himself down on the couch with his back turned to Vanya, curling himself into the fetal position. He tucked his toes between the cushions of the couch and curled his arms against his chest.

Vanya figured he must just still be tired from the events from yesterday.

Ok, the apocalypse..that she technically caused..

Vanya realized he was out for the count when the soft sound of his snores filled the room. She shot her brother a half smile.

“Oh Klaus, what are we to do with you?”

She shook her head and walked to the hall closet, pulling out a blanket and returned to the couch to drape it over her brothers sleeping form. He was still shivering a little and was still quite damp from the rain but she hoped the blanket would help. She brushed his curls out of his eyes and tucked a lock of his hair behind his ear. Her hand lingered on his cheek for a moment. She positioned her hand so that the back of her palm was resting against his cheek, then she moved it to his forehead.

_Did he feel a little warm?_

She checked her own temperature and then checked his again. He felt a little warmer, but not by much. Maybe she was just overreacting.

_He’s just tired._

Vanya decided to leave him alone and let him rest. It was only about 4:30 in the afternoon, so she decided to practice her violin for an hour and then she would make everyone dinner. It was the least she could do to repay them for not only disabling the apocalypse and saving the world but deciding to spare her life.

Vanya left the living room. She would wait to wake up Klaus until dinner was ready to give him enough time to rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it!!! Poor sleepy baby Klaus! 
> 
> Also, I realize that most likely the whole waffle thing with Ben proooooobably would not even slightly be able to happen BUT for the sake of the story I made it possible! LOL
> 
> Thank you everyone who has given Kudo’s, commented, subscribed, bookmarked, etc so far! You guys are amazing! I am overwhelmed by the support you guys have shown for this story so far!! I promise, it just keeps getting more and more interesting from here!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!!! I decided I would go ahead and start posting on Wednesday and Saturday this week after all to get into the routine! So here is Chapter 4! Chapter 5 will be up on Saturday so keep an eye out for it!! :)
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!! If you do, PLEASE let me know!! I love reading all of your comments!! Thank you all SO much!! :)

When Klaus awoke the first thing he noticed was that he was _still fucking tired_. 

_Seriously_? He should have some energy back by now! 

His eyes fluttered, and took in his surroundings. His vision was a little foggy from his nap so he blinked rapidly a few times to clear it. That seemed to do the trick.

He was in the living room on the couch. He vaguely remembered coming inside after conjuring Ben. 

He remembered he didn’t have the energy to make it to his bedroom to rest. 

He _didn’t_, however, remember grabbing a blanket? 

He snuggled under the blanket more to try to leech as much warmth from it as he could, wrapping it tighter around his arms and tucking it under his chin. He was grateful for the blanket. 

Klaus was _freezing_!

He took in a deep breath and let out a long sigh closing his eyes once more.

A set of hands gently shook Klaus’s shoulder and startled him half to death. He gasped and whipped around, facing whoever touched him.

“_Christ_ on a _cracker_!” His hand flew to his chest, his heart nearly bursting from it. Klaus’s eyes, blown wide from the encounter landed on Vanya who also looked unnerved from the interaction.

“_Sorry_!” She exclaimed, reeling her hands back towards herself.

“Didn’t mean to startle you, it’s just, dinners ready and I thought you should come eat it with us while it’s still hot.”

Dinner? Klaus’s stomach _rolled_ at the thought. 

He really wasn’t hungry. The nauseous feeling he’d had since kicking all of his favorite illegal substances really didn’t leave him with much of an appetite. 

He hadn’t eaten anything really in the last few days though, so maybe he could try? 

Even just a few bites.

Klaus sighed again and shot his sister a smile.

“Thanks, Van. So, what’s on the menu for tonight?” Klaus sat up on the couch and stretched his long tired limbs, a yawn escaping his lips.

“Pizza, sushi? Cordon bleu, _perhaps_?” He asked as he yawned once more. 

“Pasta. Spaghetti, to be specific. With meatballs and garlic bread. I figured, _why not_? I owe you guys my life, the _least_ I could do was treat you to dinner.” She smiled sheepishly.

“_Wow_, Thank you Vanya, _really_. Sounds great.” Klaus flashed a genuinely grateful smile.

“I’m no chef by any means. But this dish is kinda my specialty.” Her smile grew wider.

Klaus smiled back at his sister. That was very kind of her to go through all the trouble to make such a fancy dinner for him and his siblings.

_His siblings_..

Klaus did _not_ want to have to interact with any of his siblings right now. He still had a bitter taste in his mouth from the last time they were all together. 

How _dare_ they treat him the way they did? 

Did they _seriously_ not see him trying to make an effort? He quit taking drugs, and he finally was harnessing his powers and trying really, _really_ fucking hard to be a valued member of The Umbrella Academy. Not to mention just to be a better brother in general! 

Vanya must have sensed the sudden tension in the room. Her smile faltered just a little.

“I’ll set you a plate, see you in there.” With that she left Klaus and headed into the kitchen.

He could hear his siblings all starting to gather there, their light hearted banter rattling around inside his skull.

_God_ he had a headache.

“Van, I didn’t know you could cook.” Diego.

“Looks delicious, wow. Thanks.” Five.

“Thank you Vanya, really. You didn’t have to do all of this.” Luther. 

“Thanks guys, it’s no problem at all, really, I wanted to! Hmm?” She paused.

“Oh, he just woke up from a nap. He should be in here any minute.” Klaus guessed Vanya must be answering Allison since he didn’t actually _hear_ anyone ask about him. 

Poor Allison.. Klaus just hoped her vocal cords would be able to heal so she could use her voice again and not have to rely on that stupid notepad.

“A nap?” Five scoffed. 

“He slept all day.” Luther again.

Klaus rolled his eyes at that remark. 

Well, excuse me for _living_! 

Klaus seemed to recall when Luther had a crazy night out, popping pills and ‘_being like Klaus_’ and being absolutely fucking zoned out of his mind, hungover and not feeling up to much of anything the following day. Did _he_ judge Luther? _No_! 

Imagine doing that _everyday_ for over half of your goddamn life, only _much_ harder and with way worse drugs heavily sprinkled on top.. then abruptly stop and carry on like nothing ever happened. 

Go on, try! 

_Pfft_! Yeah, it’s not exactly easy. But, dammit Klaus _was_ trying!

“Why are you setting his plate? He is perfectly capable of doing that himself. Stop. Eat, you cooked this meal, enjoy it.” Luther again.

Klaus rolled his eyes again and stood up (maybe a little too quickly, as it caused the room to sway for a brief moment). He shook his head like a dog to clear his mind and waltzed into the kitchen.

“Luther’s right Van, I got it. Thank you though.” He smiled at his sister and took an empty plate from the counter, glaring at Luther quickly before eyeing the feast Vanya procured for everyone. 

She went all out, and Klaus had to admit, it did look _amaaaaazing_.

He started to fill his plate up with the food, careful not to go overboard knowing full well he probably wouldn’t be able to eat much of it. 

He took the smallest piece of garlic bread first and nestled it onto his plate. Then he scooped about a quarter cup of pasta on next, covering a thin layer of the marinara sauce over it. Finally he topped it with two small meatballs. This ought to be plenty. 

He sat at the only empty seat at the table, between Allison and Diego. He scooted his chair in closer to the table, the chair making a loud scraping sound against the linoleum floors as he did so. 

No one said anything at first, which was nice. Klaus looked around the table at his siblings. 

Luther’s plate was piled high with at least three slices of garlic bread and probably over ten meatballs. 

Diego’s plate had a decent sized pile of the pasta but a considerably small amount of sauce. Red sauce always did give him heartburn.

Five didn’t have any pasta, _instead_ he took two slices of garlic bread and sandwiched a few meatballs and some sauce between them making some kind of fancy meatball sub. Huh, Klaus had to admit, that actually looked pretty damn good..

Vanya and Allison both had a pretty average sized portion for themselves, fewer meatballs for Allison than Vanya though. 

Klaus eyed his measly plate. His stomach was doing summersaults just looking at it. He didn’t know if he’d be able to eat it. 

“Klaus, are you going to _eat_ your dinner, or just eye fuck it all night?” Five remarked, pausing from biting into his own meal. 

The sound of forks clattering resounded around him, Klaus tore his gaze from his plate and realized everyone was watching him eat. 

Or, _not_ eat?

“Oh, I’m just taking a mental snapshot of it. Looks amazing, Vanya. _Instagram_ worthy!” Klaus pretended to take a photo with his fingers and sent an albeit fake, but reassuring smile at his siblings.

No one took their eyes off of him and he sensed they were waiting to make sure he actually ate it. Klaus picked up his garlic bread and took a small bite from a corner with no seasoning on it. He chewed and hummed a sound of pleasure.

“_Delicious_.” He said mouth full. That seemed to be enough for his siblings as they all returned their focus to their own meals. 

Klaus pushes his noodles around his plate, swirling them onto his fork and moving them to another section on the plate. He was pushing holes into the small pile of pasta and breaking up the meatballs absentmindedly. 

Occasionally, he would check to see who was looking and would bring the empty fork to his mouth and ‘bite’.

“Klaus, I know you’re not feeling it, but you _need_ to eat.” Ben stood behind Five who sat across from him. 

“At least _try_ to eat a few bites. Eat more of the bread and maybe a meatball? You need nutrients to get your strength up.”

Klaus knew Ben was right, but the thought of eating _anything_ right now did not sound appealing. He knew he had a point though, so to satisfy his brother he ate a few bites of his dinner. 

He ate about one meatball, two small bites of his pasta and finished a third of his garlic bread before his stomach started to revolt against him. 

Klaus picked up his plate, quickly pushed his chair away from the table and stood up, walking to the garbage can where he dumped the remnants of his dinner.

“You’re _done_? You _barely_ ate anything.” Diego eyed him, one eyebrow raised. 

“Yeah, _well_, I‘m still pretty full from those waffles from earlier.” Klaus rubbed his stomach to emphasize that he was full, but also to try to soothe it. 

“Sit down with us Klaus, we should all talk.” Luther stated firmly, taking another bite of his spaghetti.

Klaus’s stomach lurched and his grip tightened on his belly. 

How was he supposed to sit when he felt like he was about to toss his cookies all over the floor?

“I’d really love to big guy, ya know, partake in some good ole’ quality family ‘_bonding time_’, but I should really—“

“SIT DOWN!” Luther slammed his fists down on the table rattling everyone’s plates. Klaus stepped back, surprised by the sudden outburst. 

“_Exqueeze_ me?” Klaus questioned, tilting his chin towards his chest, eyebrows raising in confusion.

“Sit down. We need to talk.” Luther finished calmly, teeth clenched.

Klaus eyed his siblings to gauge their reaction to Luther’s outburst then rolled his eyes, waving his _HELLO_ hand in the air.

“Okay, fine. _Sheesh_ big guy, take a chill pill. I have the number to someone who can get you some, if you‘d like.” Klaus plopped himself back down in his chair, his comment earned him a few harsh looks. He laughed and held his hand up in surrender. (singular, as his other hand was still holding his ailing stomach.)

“_Kidding_! I’m kidding! Come on guys, three days sober. _Woo hoo_!” He snickered, fist bumping the air with his free hand.

Luther let out a long sigh and then looked at Klaus, intensity burning in his irises.

“Look, I don’t know what’s going on with you, but you’re behavior is affecting this family.” He started, taking a swig from his glass of water.

“_First_, you just bail as look out. Which, _ok fine_, we all _kind  
_ of expected that, we can’t _really_ depend on you for much of anything—“

Klaus’s stomach dropped as a burning rage engulfed his core. Was he fucking _joking_? He interrupted Luther.

“Wait a tick, wait a tick. You can’t _expect_ much from me? I think you forget that I’m the one who saved all of your asses by conjuring Ben! Which, ok, _technically_ Ben saved your asses..but, he couldn’t have done that without my help!”

“Had you just done your job and paid attention you could have just warned us and saved us all the damn trouble in the first place!” Luther raged, tossing his fork onto his plate. 

“_Saved you the trouble_? Why—_what does it even fucking matter_? We _beat_ them! We all, _collectively_ worked together and stopped the apocalypse! What _more_ could you want? I mean, _seriously_ you’re going to hold a grudge on me over something that worked out fine _anyways_?”

“It’s not _only_ that, Klaus. We feel like we are _constantly_ walking on egg shells with you. And you’re becoming distant. Acting _strangely_..are you back on drugs?”

Klaus just stared at Luther wide eyed. He couldn’t believe this! Sure, he could see why they’d automatically assume he might be back on drugs. 

He’d been to rehab many times before and was always back at it again with his BS within the first twenty-four hours after being released, but this time was different. 

He had a _purpose_ now. He had a _reason_ to stay sober. _Two reasons_, really. Ben, and.._Dave_. 

“I can’t even believe this. I’m not—“

“Don’t lie to us Klaus. Tell us the truth!” Luther demanded.

Klaus didn’t know what hurt more; the pain in his heart in realizing that his family didn’t trust him, didn’t believe in him. Or the fact that his stomach literally felt like it was going to rot out of his abdominal cavity. 

The acidic taste of bile rose into Klaus’s mouth. His stomach lurched violently, threatening to spill its contents any second. Nausea enveloped Klaus like a warm blanket, or to put it more accurately, like a noose, tightening around his throat.

Klaus slammed his hand down on the table with such a force it startled everyone. He used his hand to push himself out of the chair forcefully, before slamming the chair back into its place.

“You know what, _screw you_, Luther! I already told you I’m done with drugs! I’m _sober_, have been for three fucking days! Wanna know _why_ I’ve been distant? Because, _Luther_—“ Klaus poured as much venom into his brothers name as he could, shooting him the most intense glare he could muster.

“Believe it or not, detoxing off of drugs, _especially_ when you’ve used for well over half of your fucking life, it takes a lot out of you! It’s not just—_poof_—sunshine and rainbows, I quit drugs, life is but a dream! _Yay_! NO! It’s fucking _hard_! It’s fucking _exhausting_! My entire body fucking _hurts_, I’m physically and mentally _exhausted_ all the fucking time. I crave a hit of something, _anything_ every waking second of every fucking day, but _goddammit_! I suck it up and I push through it! And for _what_?” Klaus was panting at this point. He riled himself up more than he intended to, but _God_ did he need this. He’d been holding these emotions back for _far_ too long.

“For _nothing_! For my family to _still_ not trust me, _still_ not believe a single word I say. _Still not take me seriously_.” Klaus paused for a moment to catch his breath. He clenched his eyes shut, the room was spinning and he needed it to stop.

“I’m _done_. I’m done trying to please you, _number one_. I’m done trying to please anyone. I’ve failed my entire life at it, and I just don’t care anymore.” Klaus turned to leave the kitchen.

“The dinner was delicious Vanya, thank you again.” Klaus ignored the protests of his sibling and tried to leave the kitchen as quickly as possible. _Unfortunately_, a thwip and a blue flash dispensed Five directly into his path.

“Stop _right_ there, we _aren’t_ finished here.” Five placed both of his hands against his brothers chest and gave a soft shove to stop him.

Klaus couldn’t do this right now. He _needed_ to get to a bathroom, not be trapped in this kitchen with his family.

“_Move_, Five.” He tried to go around his brother but Five side stepped into his path again. Klaus didn’t know how much longer he could hold on.

“Move, or so help me I will puke all over you.”

Five made an appalled face.

“What the _hell_ kind of threat is _that_?”

Klaus’s stomach lurched violently again, his abdomen cramping and screaming in protest.

Klaus wrenched his eyes shut, gripping his stomach tighter as a soft high pitched groan escaped his lips.

“_Withdrawals_, remember?” He groaned through gritted teeth. His stomach flipped again, causing him to lean forward into himself slightly and stumble forward. 

Five seemed to realize it wasn’t an empty threat, Klaus _was_ going to be sick. 

Instead of stepping out of his way, Five sighed, rolled his eyes, and grabbed Klaus by his shoulders, spacial jumping them to the bathroom. Five deposited Klaus before jumping himself out of the area. 

Surely, he didn’t want to watch someone vomit.

Klaus could care less, he was just grateful he was finally in a bathroom. He hurriedly threw himself at the toilet, lifting the seat up as quickly as he could before his insides all but erupted into the bowl. 

Considering he _barely_ ate anything at all these last couple of days, _including_ tonight’s dinner, Klaus was _amazed_ at how much vomit came up. Mostly bile and stomach acid, but _God_ was this _terrible_ none the less. 

Klaus couldn’t think of one thing he hated more than puking. 

Well, maybe except for Luther at this moment. He’d rather puke every day for the rest of his life than have to go back and deal with Luther right now. 

After what felt like forever of mostly dry heaving Klaus’s stomach seemed to lull to a dull discomfort rather than an intense nauseating pain. His shaking hand maneuvered over the handle of the toilet and flushed it. 

He suddenly felt _exhausted_ again, _no doubt_ from all of the hullabaloo from dinner. 

Klaus curled up on the floor in front of the toilet, pressing his forehead into the cool porcelain tile floors. He felt strangely cold but hot at the same time. 

_God, when would these withdrawal symptoms fucking end_?!

Klaus laid there for a few minutes just focusing on calming himself and his breathing down a bit when a soft knock came from the door.

“_Klaus_, it’s me and Allison, can we come in?” 

“Yeah, I _guess_.” Klaus’s voice was hoarse from vomiting. 

Vanya and Allison entered the bathroom, each girl crouching down to either side of Klaus.

“You look _awful_, are you _okay_?” Vanya stated, tilting Klaus’s face towards the light so she could see him better. 

Allison jotted ferociously on her note pad and showed it to Klaus.

“Ignore Luther. He‘s wrong.”

Klaus pulled his arm over his face, and coughed a dry, raspy cough into the crook of his elbow. 

Vanya tucked loose strands of his curls behind his ears, smoothing his sweat saturated hair off of his forehead and out of his face. 

She helped sit him up just enough so that his shoulders rested against her lap, his head resting above her stomach. Klaus guided his shaky hand so that it rested on her knee, patting it gently in a way to say thanks.

“So, you’re still going through _withdrawals_, huh?” Vanya ran her fingers through Klaus’s curls as a way to soothe him, he always loved it when people would play with his hair.

“Yeah.” Klaus said tiredly.

“_It’s a great time_.”

Vanya shot him a sympathetic smile. His eyes were open but she could tell he was exhausted. She also knew he probably didn’t want to talk about everything that just happened, but it needed to be done.

“Allison is right, _you know_. About Luther. He had _no right_ to treat you that way.” Allison nodded in response, rubbing her hands up and down Klaus’s calves to comfort him. 

Klaus rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, _well_. He’s right. I’m a screw up, _always_ have been. I’m ‘_the Klaus clown_’ as he used to always so delicately put it.” Klaus let out a long shaky sigh, closing his eyes for just a moment.

“He’s _wrong_ though. Don’t _ever_ think like that, Klaus. Just don’t! You’ve always been a clown because you’re funny and always bring _so much joy_ to everyone around you. _Not_ because you’re a screw up. You are _not_ a screw up, Klaus! Luther is just—“ Vanya paused trying to come up with a word for it. Allison scribbled on her note pad and held it up for them to view, tapping it with her marker three times to emphasize.

“AN ASS!” Klaus and Vanya both smiled and broke into soft giggles, causing Klaus to begin coughing again. 

“Thanks guys, _really_. I’m glad I have you two and Ben by my side.” Klaus smiled at his sisters in thanks.

“We are _all_ on your side, Klaus. The boys are too. They just suck at showing it.” He chuckled at that remark.

“Right, _yeah_, okay. Diego and Five have _barely_ acknowledged I exist since everything happened, and I’m _fairly certain_ Luther thinks I’m the scum of the earth. Fine by me! I don’t need them when I have you three.” He smiled at Ben who stood silently in the far corner of the bathroom. 

“You have _all_ of us, I _promise_. Give them time. This will all blow over in a couple of days. They’ll realize they’re being a bunch of jerks and come back around. In the mean time, let’s get you to bed, _okay_?” Klaus’s eyelids were becoming heavy, sleep sounded great to him right now.

“_Yeah_, if you say so.” Allison and Vanya helped Klaus get to his feet. He was unsteady at first, but each sister put a steadying hand on his back and eased him forward out of the bathroom. They escorted him upstairs, never taking their hands off of him and lead him into his bedroom. 

Klaus laid down on his bed, curled up on his side facing his sisters. He had his _HELLO_ hand snaked under his pillow, his elbow jutted out to prop the pillow up between his head and shoulders. His _GOODBYE_ hand rested on his bed, pressed against his stomach. 

His eyes were already beginning to droop and he tried to stifle a yawn. Allison and Vanya pulled Klaus’s comforter over his body, tucking it up right underneath his chin. Allison stroked her fingers gently down Klaus’s cheek and smiled at him lovingly. He smiled back before he finally succumbed to sleep.

Allison kissed his forehead and gently ruffled his hair. 

Both sisters left the room together. When they got to his door they glanced back towards their slumbering brother, and smiled. 

“Good night, Klaus.” Vanya shut off his overhead lights, leaving only his twinkling string lights to dimly light the room as Allison left the bedroom, closing the door behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed it!!! Sorry for all the F-bombs, Klaus needed to vent lol
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has commented, given Kudo’s, bookmarked and subscribed!! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!! Remember, Saturday I will post Chapter 5! So keep your eyes peeled for it!! Thank you all again!! :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay!! Guys, I’m so proud that I actually held out to post this chapter! I’ve been chomping at the bit all week to post! Haha this was my first chapter I was super proud of while I wrote it, I hope you guys enjoy it as well! 
> 
> If you do enjoy please let me know in the comments!! I LOVE reading all of your comments guys! They make me so incredibly happy! I appreciate you all so much! Does my heart good to know people actually are enjoying my little story! So thank you all again!! 
> 
> Anyways, please enjoy!! :)

“_Give them time, this will all blow over in a couple days._”

Well, a couple days came and went and quickly turned into a couple of weeks. Which rolled into another month, and then _another_ and _still_ nothing changed with his family...

Vanya, Allison and Ben were the only people who gave Klaus any time of day. 

Even then, the girls were often times too busy for Klaus. Not that he really blamed them, they had their _own_ lives to live, after all.

Vanya was _finally_ learning her powers now, and she was doing great, improving more and more each day, which made Klaus so _incredibly_ proud of her. 

And Allison was constantly busy with doctors appointments and therapy sessions trying to heal her vocal cords. 

She could hum now and whisper short sentences, but she still had a long way to go in her recovery. 

The doctors seemed to think she _would_ make a full recovery though, which was amazing news. Klaus was just happy that the treatments were helping. He couldn’t wait until she could use her voice fully again. He was so happy for his sister.

As far as his _brothers_ were concerned, Klaus was pretty sure they didn’t even care if he _existed_.

Diego barely said an entire sentence to Klaus in the time that passed, Five wouldn’t even look at Klaus, and Luther avoided him all together. 

Klaus almost wasn’t even sure if Luther still lived there. He hadn’t seen him even _once_ since dinner all those nights ago. Not that he was complaining.

Ben encouraged Klaus to give himself a few days to recuperate. After the apocalypse and that whole dinner fiasco, he really just needed to focus on himself and getting his health in order. 

Klaus wasn’t new to going through withdrawals. He’d done this dance before, _many_ times. But for some reason this time was harder on him than the rest..

_Usually_ his symptoms only lasted for a week, _maybe_ two but that would be it. 

Then he would finish his last couple of weeks in the program and finally get released from rehab. (Where he would usually just get his paws on some drugs immediately, and just start this entire process over again.) 

Things were different though now...

It had been over _two months_ since the apocalypse, over _two months_ since he took any kind of drug, or drank any alcoholic beverages and he was _still_ suffering the effects from this...

He would have thought that after the first few weeks he would be over this. But as the weeks turned into _months_ Klaus’s symptoms only seemed to be getting _worse_.

Some days were better than others, some days he felt absolutely fine and had no symptoms. Sometimes he would even have a little bit of an appetite.

Those days only seemed to give him false hope that he was _finally_ over this though before the symptoms would come back _worse than ever_ the following day. 

Klaus was over it. 

The chills, the fatigue. The constant stomach pain and nausea...

He had all but lost his appetite. Even when he _was_ hungry he couldn’t eat, his stomach just hurt too badly. Anytime he ate _anything_ it would just come right back up...

It had been two months of this on and off and Klaus was _losing weight_, having dropped at least ten pounds already.

The thing that bothered Klaus the most though, was that with this round of withdrawals he was beginning to develop _new_ symptoms. 

Symptoms he _never_ had with any of his other bouts with withdrawals beforehand. 

One new symptom was that his back _ached_. 

He felt like an old man at times. His back would be so tight and stiff, especially in the morning or at night, but there was _always_ a dull pain.

The only thing that seemed to help soothe Klaus’s newfound pain in his lumbar region was to take a long hot bath.

The most _alarming_ symptom, _however_, was a new issue with his stomach...

Klaus _constantly_ felt like he was _bloated_. 

His belly was always slightly distended and _swollen_. It was hard to the touch and incredibly _painful_. 

The only perk to his swollen abdomen was that no one could tell he was losing any weight. 

Klaus didn’t want anyone to know about these symptoms, though. He knew his family would try to convince him to see a doctor, or at least have Grace take a look at him. He didn’t want that, though. 

Didn’t _need_ that. 

They were alarming to him, sure, but also incredibly _embarrassing_. 

They would eventually go away. He was fine! 

He even tried to hide these symptoms from Ben, who constantly would pester Klaus to ensure he was okay. Ben was worried since Klaus’s nausea hadn’t passed yet. But Klaus always assured him that he was fine. 

_He was okay_...

They even continued working on his powers, much to Bens chagrin. 

They cut the time _drastically_ shorter though, now. Klaus was only allowed (Ben’s rules, not his) to conjure Ben for no more than two minutes every few days, at least until his health returned to normal. 

It would still leave Klaus absolutely _wrecked_ afterwards. Some days worse than others, but the shorter periods of time combined with a few days in between to recover seemed to help.

Now, Klaus was laid in the bath tub. Hot water rushing into the basin, and enveloping his cold, uncomfortable body in a much desired warm embrace. 

He had his eyes closed, feeling the water rise up above his throbbing lower back and encroaching up onto his tender abdomen. The hot water felt so nice, giving instant relief to the tension and discomfort in his spine. 

When the tub was full, Klaus slid his hands over the sides of the tub and hoisted himself into a seated position. He reached for the knobs and shut off the water. 

Klaus’s breath hitched, and he groaned, the position putting added pressure against his swollen belly. He leaned back again, resting his head against the lip of the tub and draped his hands over his stomach. 

_God_, it was so _painful_. 

His hand rubbed soothing circles over his tummy. 

It was weird, though. Klaus knew if people hadn’t known he lost so much weight, they wouldn’t have really noticed the swelling. 

His weight plummeted quickly after the apocalypse. Two weeks out and the crest of his pelvis was already beginning to protrude, and his ribs became much more prevalent. His stomach seemed to almost _sink_ and disappear into his abdominal cavity. 

Klaus always _was_ on the thinner side, even before the drugs. He’d joke that he was ‘_junkie skinny, better than your average supermodel_!’. But he was beginning to appear almost skeletal.

You would too, if you couldn’t keep any food down...

Then, after the first two weeks, after he already dropped so much weight, he woke up one morning to this _awful_ discomfort in his stomach. 

He felt like he swallowed a balloon filled with concrete. His belly felt so distended and _uncomfortable_. His abdomen had enlarged overnight, swelling and filling the void the weight loss had left. 

To the unknowing eye, Klaus’s stomach looked _normal_, maybe the _tiniest_ bit bloated as it _barely_ extended over his waistband. Overall, it didn’t _look_ too out of the ordinary, but it _felt horrible_. 

His belly was hard to the touch. Certain positions would cause Klaus so much _pain_ and _discomfort_ because it was so tight and just miserable. He always felt like he was overly stuffed, or bloated. It was the worst feeling. 

Klaus splashed some of the hot water over his stomach, then rested his hands back on top of it.

He closed his eyes and just relaxed into the tub, sinking his shoulders deeper into the steaming hot water. This was the only place where Klaus could completely relax and not have to worry about anyone bothering him. Even Ben would give him some privacy and not follow him in there. 

Klaus laid like that for quite sometime until the heat started to evaporate, turning the water from hot, to warm, to cool. 

He started to shiver which caused the tightness in his back to return. He sighed, then positioned himself to get out of the tub. He hoisted himself up, stifling a yelp as it caused his stomach to tense uncomfortably. He pulled the plunger out of the tub, allowing it to drain. 

Klaus wrapped a fluffy white towel around his body, quickly drying himself off. Anytime he would bend forward to dry his legs it would cause _immense_ pain in his stomach. 

“_Klaus_, you _okay_ in there?” Ben questioned from outside the bathroom door.

“I’m fine, just getting dressed.” Klaus called. 

“Be right out, oh brother ‘o mine!” 

Klaus worked quickly to get dressed. He slid into a pair of rainbow leopard print briefs, then pulled on a maroon pair of joggers. He slipped a loose fitting white V-neck shirt on and wrapped himself up in an oversized black hoodie. He was going for a comfortable look today, as that’s all he really _could_ wear until his abdominal swelling would go away. 

Klaus opened the door and smiled at Ben.

“Did I hear you _groaning_ in there?” Ben looked at Klaus with an intense concerned stare.

“It’s no biggie, Ben. I started to feel a little _nauseous_, but it passed. I’m good, _really_!” Ben just nodded in response. 

The two brothers walked down stairs together. Klaus was feeling a little parched and needed a glass of water. 

He didn’t feel _as_ nauseous today, so he figured he could maybe try to eat a little something while he was down there as well.

When he entered the kitchen it was empty, _thank Christ_. Klaus opened the fridge and grabbed a water bottle. He opened it and took a couple swigs before replacing the cap and setting the bottle down on the table. 

He searched the fridge for _anything_ that he thought he could stomach. Nothing looked all too appetizing to him, though. 

_Too greasy, too spicy, too milky_...

He decided he would have a slice of toast, maybe add a thin layer of peanut butter for a bit of protein. 

When his peanut butter toast was ready, Klaus took a seat at the table. He took another sip of his water then picked up the toast. 

He was _so hungry_...

He took a bite and chewed it thoroughly before swallowing. He took another bite, then another. After Klaus took his fourth bite of his toast he couldn’t even bring himself to swallow it. 

He wasn’t nauseous, surprisingly, but he was just _so full_...

His stomach _ached_ and throbbed. Klaus got up and spit out the bite of toast from his mouth into the garbage can. He rested his right hand on the kitchen counter and draped his left hand over his distended uncomfortable belly. He exhaled a shaky breath, pinching his eyes shut. He was just so fucking _uncomfortable_.

“Klaus, you _okay_?” Ben was at his side in an instant.

“Yeah, I’m good.” Ben didn’t look impressed.

“I’m good, _really_. Just.._full_.” Klaus straightened up, returning to the kitchen table to retrieve the rest of his peanut butter toast and discarded it into the garbage as well. He grabbed his water bottle, unscrewed the lid and took another swig as he exited the kitchen. He nearly slammed right into Diego as he entered the hallway.

“Hey, watch it!” Diego yelled as he narrowly avoided Klaus. Klaus pivoted to avoid a collision, causing him to wince when it jostled his stomach uncomfortably. His hand darted to his belly, fist clenching into his jacket.

“Shit, _sorry_ Diego.” Diego straightened up, tilting his head to the left to crack his neck.

“It’s fine.” He looked at Klaus who was still making a slightly uncomfortable face.

“You actually eat anything while you were in there?” 

Klaus looked at Diego and nodded.

“Yeah, had some peanut butter toast. _Gourmet_, I know. No need to be jealous of my culinary skills!” He smiled and gave a soft chuckle, waving his hands around animatedly.

Diego smiled and rolled his eyes.

‘_Did he actually just smile at me_?’ Klaus thought.

Diego eyed Klaus for a minute, opening his mouth then closing it.

Did he have something to say?

“Look, I—“ He started, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Klaus, I’m.. _sorry_.” 

Klaus looked at his brother confused. 

Was he.._apologizing_? After not even acknowledging him for over two months?

“_Go on_..” Klaus encouraged. 

Diego rolled his eyes, tilted his head back and plastered a crooked smile on his face.

“I said, I’m _sorry_. Look, _Klaus_. I was upset at you at _first_, but, I’ve had a lot of time to think about it and.. I’m _not_ mad. To tell you the truth, I’m..” He paused.

“_You’re_....?” Klaus questioned, waving his hand out in front of him, encouraging Diego to continue.

“The truth is, I’m P-P.. I’m _proud_ of you, _okay_?” Ah, Diego only stuttered when he was flustered.

“Oh? _Proud_, of lil ole me?” Klaus plastered a wide toothy grin on his face, rolling back onto his heels while pressing his hands to his chest.

“_Pray tell_?”

Diego scoffed. 

“You kiiind of _did_ kick ass, conjuring Ben and all. I’m _proud_ of you for that. But I’m _also_ proud that you haven’t started using again. I know the withdrawals were hard on you. But your two months out and you haven’t quit. I’m really _proud_ of you, bro.” The brothers shared a genuine smile between each other. Klaus felt an odd sensation, a good one, for once. 

He felt happy. 

Like a _huge_ weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. If he was being completely honest with himself, he _missed_ Diego. _A lot_.

“Thanks bro, _really_. These withdrawals _are_ a bitch, but, It’ll get better. One day at a time, _right_?” Diego’s smile fell a little bit.

“You’re _still_ having them? Klaus, is that—is that normal?” He looked concerned which Klaus appreciated, but didn’t need.

“Yeah, _oh yeah_. It’s normal. Can be, anyways. It’s just a _touch_ of nausea, no big deal. I’m fine, _really_. No need to worry, Di.” He smiled and extended his hand out to Diego’s shoulder. Diego’s smile returned and he patted his brothers hand.

“Klaus, we are having a movie night tonight. _All_ of us. You should join us.” Klaus looked down at his bare wiggling toes, then looked back up to Diego.

“I, uh. I don’t know. Luther and Five might not want me there.” 

“Screw _them_!” His brother spat. Diego put both of his hands on Klaus’s shoulders reassuringly, and gently rocked him.

“I want you there. The girls want you there.” Diego smiled then made an uncharacteristic move.

He made a pouty face.

“_Please_?” 

A high pitched chuckle erupted from Klaus’s lips. 

“_Well_, how could I say no to that _adowable_ face!” He cooed, playfully tapping the tip of Diego’s nose with his finger tip. Diego laughed then pulled away, swatting at Klaus’s hand.

“Alright, that’s enough of that. Movie starts at eight o’clock. See you then.” Diego walked into the kitchen, patting (_hard_) on Klaus’s back as he left. 

Klaus clenched his teeth at the gesture. While Diego meant well enough it shot an _intense_ pain down Klaus’s back and rattled his belly. 

He took a few deep breaths before his mouth began to pool with saliva. 

_He was going to vomit_..

“_Yeah_, see you then.” Klaus hurriedly walked to the bathroom, quickly closing the door behind him. He barely made it to the toilet before he retched. 

The pressure from vomiting made his swollen belly _scream_ in protest. The pain was so _intense_ it forced Klaus to cry out in agony. Tears brimmed his eyes, threatening to spill over his cheeks. 

_God_, his stomach _hurt_ so badly. He couldn’t even describe the sensation, it was just painful. _So fucking painful_!

Puking was miserable anyways, but _this_? This was down right _unbearable_. 

He vomited again, his body tensing. His hand shot to his belly to try _anything_ to soothe the horrible pain. 

Thankfully, the nausea passed. Just in time, really. The intolerable discomfort was making Klaus see spots. He feared he was going to pass out. 

Klaus tiredly eased his body against the wall in the bathroom once he finished vomiting. He was panting, trying to catch his breath and clutching his sore belly in his hands. 

Ben sat next to him.

“What the hell was _that_? _Klaus_, be _honest_, are you _okay_?” Klaus swatted his _GOODBYE_ hand at his brother to silence him. His stomach cramped in protest from the motion, causing Klaus to bite his lip and call out in pain.

“Dude, _seriously_, what’s wrong?” Ben was frantic. 

Klaus _knew_ he couldn’t hide this from Ben any longer. The pain in his abdomen only seemed to be getting _worse and worse_ with each passing day...

He _had_ to tell Ben the _truth_. 

“It’s my _stomach_,” he groaned again, his face contorting in pain.

“It.. it _hurts_ so bad.” He panted a few times before a pained whimper escaped his lips.

“Is it the nausea causing it? Is it because you ate? What can I do?” Ben rattled.

Klaus shook his head.

“No, it’s not the nausea. I’ve.. I’ve been keeping this from you because I didn’t want you to freak out. So..don’t freak out, _okay_?” Klaus glanced at Ben, who’s eyes pinched together in confusion.

“Just, _promise_ me you won’t freak out!” Klaus all but shouted, causing his belly to clench again. He leaned his head back against the wall, a pained cry escaping his lips, his fist curling tighter into his oversized hoodie above his aching belly.

“Okay, okay. I promise. What is it Klaus, what’s wrong?”

Klaus panted a few more times trying to dull his agony.

“I.. I’ve developed new symptoms, Ben. From my withdrawals. My.. my back hurts. But worst of all I—“ Klaus paused, afraid to continue. Unsure of what Ben would think.

“You what? Klaus, _please_ tell me.” Ben begged.

“I..I haven’t been able to keep anything down. I can’t eat, Ben. Even when I’m hungry, I _can’t_ eat.” A tear slipped down Klaus’s cheek and Ben wanted so _desperately_ to wipe it away for his brother.

“I hid it well those first couple of weeks. I dropped quite a bit of weight. I lost count after ten pounds.”

“You lost ten pounds? Klaus, you should—“

“_Please_, you promised you wouldn’t freak out. Let me finish.”

Klaus continued.

“I got pretty skinny, Ben. Skeletal, really. But _then_..”

Klaus paused, his lip began to tremble.

“Then I woke up one day. My..my _stomach_ hurt so bad. _So bad_, Ben. It felt like I swallowed a watermelon or something. It was so distended and _swollen_.” He lifted his shirt to show Ben his slightly protruding belly. 

“I know it doesn’t _look_ that bad, but had you seen how it looked before.. just _trust_ me Ben, it’s _bad_. ” Klaus lowered his shirt and hoodie and rested his palm on his belly.

“And it’s hard, Ben. So hard to the touch. Like a rock. I’ve never felt anything like this before, ever. It’s so painful. _So fucking painful_..” Klaus trailed off as more tears began to tumble down his cheeks. Ben didn’t even know what to say. He was shocked. 

Klaus had these symptoms for nearly two _months_? 

These were _not_ withdrawal symptoms. 

“_Klaus_, you need to go to the _hospital_. Those are _not_ typical withdrawal symptoms, something might be _seriously wrong_.”

“No! I can’t, I can’t go to the hospital. You _know_ how I do in hospitals. A sober me and a hospital would not mix well Ben. Not at all.” Klaus shook his head no before resting his head against the wall again, his eyes screwing shut.

“Klaus, you need medical attention. This is serious, _please_.” 

“You promised you wouldn’t freak out.” Klaus quickly wiped his tears then leaned forward, getting onto his hands and knees and hoisted himself upright to stand. His belly hurt so badly, causing him to cry out in pain again. He stumbled right through Ben and headed into the hall and upstairs to his bedroom. Ben followed.

“Klaus, this isn’t _me_ freaking out. This is _you_ refusing to get help. Look at you, please. I.. I can’t help you.” Ben was genuinely upset at that. He wanted to take Klaus’s pain away. He wanted to help his brother. But he was no help. Being dead really sucked.

“You want to help me, Ben? Then _please_, just let me rest.” Klaus climbed into his bed, wincing as his stomach stretched uncomfortably at the motion. He covered himself with his blanket and rolled over, facing his bedroom wall.

“_Klaus_—“

“Ben, please. Just leave me alone right now, okay? I need to sleep. Will you just..will you wake me up before eight?”

“Klaus, I don’t think you should go to the movie. You should see if Diego will take you to the hosp—“ 

“_Please_, Ben. _Please_.” Klaus pleaded.

Ben didn’t like this at all. Klaus was sick, _really_ sick. He should be going to the hospital to get himself checked out. But Ben couldn’t force him to go, Ben couldn’t really do much of anything. _He felt so helpless_...

“Fine, go to bed. I’ll wake you before the movie starts.”

“Thank you.” Klaus whispered, wrapping himself up tighter into his blanket. He was already starting to fall asleep. 

Ben sighed, unable to peel his eyes away from his sickly brother. 

“Just _please_, feel better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Klaus :’(
> 
> Would anyone like to try guessing what’s wrong with him?
> 
> Also guys, when I wrote this story I had a TOTALLY different idea in my head! But, as I wrote it just morphed and changed into what it became lol I’m not mad about it though, I’m incredibly proud of this entire story and can’t wait to share it all with you! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have! 
> 
> And as always, thank you guys so much who have given kudos, commented, subscribed, bookmarked, etc.. You guys are so amazing!!!! 
> 
> Next chapter will be up on Wednesday!! So stay on the look out! ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! Here is the next installment!! I gotta be honest guys, I wasn’t super impressed with how this chapter turned out. I just felt like I couldn’t word it the way I wanted it. Feels very rushed and very repetitive so I apologize ahead of time for that! Hopefully it doesn’t read as poorly to you guys as it does to me LOL 
> 
> Could just be because I LOVED the last chapter so much I feel like this one just lacks so much compared to that one haha
> 
> I hope you’ll still enjoy it though!! If you do PLEASE let me know in the comments!! I absolutely adore reading all of your wonderful comments guys, it seriously makes my day!! Thank you all again!!

“_Klaus_,”

Ben was perched on the corner of Klaus’s bed. He stayed there and watched as his sickly brother slept for the past three hours. He _couldn’t_ bring himself to leave him alone, not knowing what he knows _now_.

“Klaus, _get up_, it’s quarter till eight. You need to wake up for the movie.”

Klaus moaned as he shifted in his sleep, turning himself over so he was facing the direction of Ben. He was so tired, sore, and overall just felt like complete and utter shit. 

“You seemed to sleep pretty well. You only stirred a couple of times.”

“You _watched_ me?” Klaus rubbed his tired eyes with his _HELLO_ palm before pressing it against the bed. His _GOODBYE_ hand pulled his blanket away from his body. He eased himself up with both of his palms pushing against the bed, swinging his legs over the side and sat on the edge of the mattress. His breath hitched as he groaned, his face showing his discomfort clearly.

“Still hurts?” Questioned Ben taking in his brothers pained expression.

Klaus inhaled a deep shaky breath and licked his parched lips.

“It _always_ hurts.” 

“I _still_ think you should go to the hospital Klaus, that is _not_ normal. Just ask Diego, or even Luther—“

“_No_. I’m fine, it’ll pass.” Klaus slowly stood up, rubbing his stomach as he made his way towards his bathroom to pee. He closed the door behind him, _not that Ben would watch_.

Ben approached the bathroom, speaking louder so Klaus would hear him through the door.

“Klaus, this is serious. _Please_, you should tell the others.”

Klaus flushed the toilet, quickly washed his hands and came out of the bathroom.

“And tell them what, _exactly_? Hey guys, um, I know a few of you are pissed at me but my stomach feels like it’s going to burst, will you take me to a doctor?”

“If that will get them to help you, then _yes_.”

Klaus scoffed.

“Ben, I appreciate your concern, but I’m _fine_. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to plaster on a happy face and make a public appearance with the olé fam.” Klaus turned on his heels and headed out of his bedroom door.

He walked down the stairs and made his way into the living room. Someone set a television up and arranged the chairs so it seemed like a normal living room. 

Vanya and Allison sat together on the love seat to the right of the room, Five was seated in a regular chair, as was Luther. Those two were sat next to each other to the left of the living room. Which left Diego sitting on the left hand side of the large sofa in the center of the living room facing the TV set. 

Vanya and Allison noticed Klaus enter first and immediately smiled and greeted him.

“Oh Klaus, you’re joining us? That’s great!” 

“Hi Klaus!” Allison whispered softly. Klaus smiled at both of his sisters. That was the first time Allison tried to speak to him since her injury. He was so _happy_ to hear her voice, as soft as it may be.

“Yeah, _well_, what fun is a movie night if I don’t show my _gorgeous_ mug? I _am_ the life of the party, after all, as if you didn’t already know.” Klaus sauntered his way to the far right hand side of the large sofa and sat down. He stifled a grimace at the pain it caused him, thankfully no one noticed. _Good_.

“Brave of you to show your face after all the problems you’ve caused, Klaus.” Five. That arrogant little shit.

Surprisingly, Luther didn’t say anything. Just eyed Klaus silently. His face was unreadable.

“Five, leave him alone.” Vanya spoke from across the room.

“Make me.” Five stated harshly, leaning forward as if to intimidate her, his hands gripping the arm rests of his chair tightly.

“_I’ll_ make you if you don’t shut up, Five.” Diego shot Five a look that said _don’t fucking test me_

“I invited him. It’s a family movie night and Klaus is our family. He stays, deal with it. If you don’t like it then _you can leave_.” 

Five just rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair, folding his arms across his chest.

“Fine.” He spat before turning his attention back to the Television set.

Klaus felt uncomfortable, and _not_ just from the growing pain in his gut. The tension in the air was thick, it was making his skin crawl. Maybe he _should_ just go back upstairs and back to bed. 

He glanced over at Diego who was watching him intently. When their eyes met Diego smiled and nodded, as if to say ‘_I’ve got your back_’. Klaus mouthed a ‘_thank you_’ before turning his attention back to the TV. 

“So, what are we watching, anyways?” Klaus asked as he settled himself deeper into the couch, leaning against the arm rest and hoisting his legs to stretch across the center cushion. His stomach cramped at the motion, luckily he was able to keep his sound effects to a minimum so that no one noticed. He tenderly draped his hands over his belly as he returned his attention back to his siblings.

Vanya was fumbling with the remote control trying to find a movie on the streaming site she was on.

“What are you guys in the mood for? Horror, comedy?”

“Romcom!” Whispered Allison excitedly, earning a few grunts of protest from the left side of the room.

“I could watch a romcom, good choice! You pick which one, Ally.” Klaus stated, smiling at his sister. 

“_Unless_ the peanut gallery has a _better_ suggestion?” Klaus shot them a dubious glance, raising one eyebrow.

“Nope, Allison can pick. Just nothing too cheesy.” Five stated. 

“I’m going to make popcorn, you can start it without me.” With that Five disappeared in a blue flash. 

“I’m going to get a soda, anyone want anything?” Vanya asked as she stood.

“Would you be a dear and bring me a water, please?” Klaus asked softly. He didn’t want to be a bother, but he was parched and simply didn’t have the _energy_ to get up right now.

“Sure, Klaus. Of course. Anyone else?” The remaining siblings expressed that they were good so she walked into the kitchen. 

Allison scrolled through the Romantic comedies selection and landed on Hitch. She started the movie just as Vanya came back with the drinks.

She handed Klaus his water bottle and he thanked her before taking a few sips.

A blue flash deposited Five in his seat with a large bowl of popcorn. 

The movie began...

Everything was going fine for the most part after that first debacle when he first came down stairs. Klaus was appreciative. It was kind of nice spending time with his family in a totally _normal_ setting, for once.

Less than a third of the way through the movie though, Klaus started to get an _unbearably painful_ feeling in the pit of his stomach. His arms sprouted goosebumps and he suddenly was plagued by chills. 

_He was just so cold all of a sudden_... 

He adjusted himself on the couch so he could stuff his feet underneath the cushions to try to warm them. His chills were making his swollen belly and sore back hurt so badly from his spasms, but he didn’t want to get up for a blanket, worried that he wouldn’t be able to hide his discomfort. 

He didn’t _want_ his family to know...

He looked around the room and was thankful that no one seemed to notice his sudden agony, he didn’t want their attention on him. Didn’t _need_ it.

He noticed there was a blanket draped on the chair behind Five. 

_Of course_, it couldn’t be behind Allison or Vanya, or just on the couch he was sitting on. It just _had_ to be with Five.

Klaus composed himself enough so that he at least didn’t _sound_ uncomfortable when he spoke.

“Hey, _Five_. Will you toss me that blanket behind you?” Five glanced behind him at the blanket and then turned back to look at Klaus.

“Why don’t _you_ just come and get it?” 

‘_Because I’m in pain_?!’ Klaus thought.

“Just toss him the damn blanket, Five.” Thank you Diego.

Five rolled his eyes but grabbed the blanket.

“_Fine_, catch.” Five tossed the blanket in Klaus’s general direction. He had to sit up a bit to catch it which _immediately_ shot pain through his abdomen. He winced, recoiling into himself, clutching his belly. Thankfully Klaus didn’t think anyone had noticed.

“You okay, _Klaus_?” Apparently Diego had.

Klaus just nodded in response.

“Yeah, _splendid_.” Klaus hurriedly unfolded the blanket and tried _desperately_ to drape it over his freezing cold body. Diego must have noticed his trembling hands because he assisted Klaus in covering himself up. 

“Thanks, Di.” Klaus whispered, trying not to bring any more attention to himself. Diego just nodded and shot him a sad smile. He probably was aware that Klaus was suffering from some of the symptoms from his withdrawals. Klaus curled himself up into the blanket, positioning himself so he was laying in the fetal position on his right side on the couch, attempting to make himself more comfortable.

A little more time passed and by now Klaus was struggling to stay _awake_. He just found it so _hard_ to keep his eyes open. His eyes would slide closed and his head would nod, _dipping_ down against his chest only for him to jolt himself back into reality. 

He was just _so tired_ all the time. He _hated_ it.

Another chill ran down his spine, Klaus curled himself as tightly as he could inside of that blanket. He was just so damn cold. He couldn’t even hide his tremors anymore. 

His swollen belly hurt _so badly_. His hands were wrapped around his midsection trying in vain to stop the discomfort. He wrenched his eyes shut and tried to take a few deep steadying breaths in hopes that it would help ease the pain. He prayed this terrible feeling in his abdomen would pass.

But it just kept getting _worse_...

Klaus’s stomach was in _so much pain_, _more_ than he had _ever_ felt before. He broke into a cold sweat and his trembling just continued to get stronger.

A sudden sharp pain right in his belly caused Klaus to gasp out loudly. He didn’t mean to, but he just couldn’t hold it back. The pain was too intense.

“You alright, what’s _wrong_?” Diego put his hand on Klaus’s leg to comfort him.

“Tell them, Klaus!” Ben demanded.

“No—” Klaus replied to Ben before another sharp pain made him cry out again.

“Klaus, are you _okay_?” Vanya stood up to check on him. Diego was at his side. They took in the pained expression on Klaus’s face and immediately knew something was very _wrong_.

Vanya noticed his sweaty pale appearance and reached out her hand to touch his forehead.

“Oh my God, _he’s burning up_!” 

That got all of his siblings attention and all eyes were instantly on him. Another sharp pain stabbed Klaus right in his stomach and he cried out again, causing tears to well in his eyes.

Five and Luther looked at each other and then to Klaus. They stood up but didn’t come any closer.

“What _hurts_? I can’t help you if you don’t _tell_ me.” Diego was looking Klaus up and down. He could see that Klaus was clearly in an _immense_ amount of pain.

“Klaus, tell them! _Please_, just let them _help_ you!” Ben begged from behind him.

Klaus groaned again, tears trailing down his cheek. _It just hurt so bad_..

“My.._stomach_..” He whimpered again, clutching his belly as another searing pain tore through it.

“You going to be sick? Do you need help to the bathroom?” Diego went to wrap his arms around Klaus to help him up but Klaus shrunk back, sinking deeper into the couch, groaning again in pain.

“N-no..it’s..it’s not that. It just.._it hurts so bad_..” The pain seemed to get _worse_ and _worse_ with each breath Klaus took. He felt like his belly was getting _more_ distended and swollen, if that was even _possible_. 

_He couldn’t hide his agony at all anymore_...

He was practically _writhing_ from the discomfort. His tears were free falling down his cheeks, cries of pain emanating from deep within him. His trembling form shaking harder and harder...

Vanya and Allison worked together to peel the blanket away from Klaus’s body, he fought it for a moment but he was just too weak to put up much of a struggle. They unzipped his hoodie and lifted his shirt. 

Klaus’s stomach _had_ gotten more swollen, which explained the horrible pain he was feeling. His stomach appeared incredibly swollen, slightly rounded and protruded over his pants. 

“Where does it hurt, which side?”

Diego reached out and started to gently press down against his belly. Klaus gasped sharply at the pressure, _God_ it hurt so fucking bad. 

He tried to push Diego’s hands away from his stomach but Diego retracted his hands almost immediately after he felt his belly anyways.

“_Shit_, his stomach is hard as a rock!”

“We need to bring him to the _hospital_—“ Vanya started to say, only for Klaus to interrupt her.

“_No_, no hospitals! Please.._please_, I can’t..I _can’t_ go to a hospital.” The pain kept getting worse and worse and Klaus kept crying out. This was absolutely _excruciating_...

Five stood there, eyes wide and stunned. He _actually_ felt _awful_ for his brother.

Luther immediately stomped across the living room and instinctively scooped up Klaus bridal style, earning a pained gasp from his brother from the sudden movement. 

“I’m taking you to the infirmary. Klaus, _why_ didn’t you say you were _sick_?” Luther wrapped the blanket back around his brothers trembling form and started towards the infirmary.

Klaus looked at Luther with pain filled eyes, another tear cascaded down his cheek.

“Would..would you have _believed_ me?” Luther just looked into Klaus’s eyes. He could see the pain, the sadness..and just the _hurt_ in those green irises. 

It pained Luther to admit it, but, Klaus was _right_. 

_Would_ he have believed him? 

He was so _angry_ and had been holding onto those feelings for so long..he avoided Klaus for over _two months_ because of it. 

Now here he was, holding his brothers very vulnerable, and downright.._sick_ form and all of that anger instantly washed away. He just wanted to be there for Klaus, to help him in whatever way possible. _He wanted to make his pain go away_..

Klaus groaned out again in pain, his hands were wrapped tightly around his abdomen.

“It _hurts so bad_, Luther.” Klaus groaned as he buried his forehead into Luther’s shoulder. 

“I know, Klaus. I know. Everything is going to be _okay_, we are going to get you help.” Klaus’s body shook with sobs.

Luther quickened his pace and finally made it to the infirmary. 

“Mom!” Luther shouted, he delicately dispensed Klaus’s agonized body on the cot.

“Mom, Klaus needs _help_!”

All of the siblings came in behind Luther, circling around the cot. They all looked on in shock and horror at Klaus. 

He was _not_ doing well _at all_.

Grace walked in immediately after hearing the commotion 

“Hello dears, What seems to be the matter?” 

“Mom, Klaus is really _s-sick_!” Diego stammered.

Grace hurried to the cot and gently laid a hand on Klaus’s face, wiping tears from his cheek. She looked at his pained expression and instantly frowned.

“Klaus, _darling_, what hurts?” 

Klaus curled in on himself, clutching his belly as torrents of pain ripped through his abdomen.

“S-stomach _hurts_.._so bad_..” He yelped in pain, his eyes clenching shut as his head rolled back down onto the cot. 

Grace immediately started gently pulling Klaus’s hands away from his abdomen, causing him to groan out in more pain. She lifted his shirt and saw his distended swollen belly. She gently laid her palms and fingers against the flesh and palpated his stomach. It took every ounce of Klaus’s energy to not _scream_ out in _agony_. 

Why did they have to keep pressing down on it, what part of it _fucking hurt_ didn’t they _understand_?!

“_Please_, please stop.. ah, _God_ it hurts _so bad_..” Klaus pleaded through his cries. Grace pulled her hands away, cautious to not put Klaus through any extra unnecessary discomfort.

“_Shh_..” Grace cooed to Klaus to try to calm him.

“It’s going to be alright Klaus, _Shh Shh_...” 

“Children, please give Klaus and I some time. I’ll come get you all as soon as I’m able.”

With that all of the siblings left the room, taking one last worried glance at Klaus as they exited the infirmary.

—-

Time seemed to drag by extra slowly as the remaining members of the umbrella academy waited for news on Klaus. An hour quickly passed and they _still_ had no updates.

Five was pacing the hall back and forth impatiently. He had his arms folded across his chest and was tapping his fingers rhythmically on his elbows. 

Diego was sitting on the floor with his head propped against the wall. He was fiddling with one of his small daggers, testing the balance of it in his hands.

Vanya and Allison were huddled together in a couple chairs Luther placed in the hall for them. They were silent, their nerves completely overwhelming them.

Luther was standing directly next to the door of the infirmary. He just kept praying that they would get some answers soon. 

He was worried about Klaus. 

In many ways, he blamed _himself_ for Klaus’s current condition. He separated himself from his brother, distanced himself enough that they literally hadn’t even seen each other in _months_. He was just so upset..but, looking back, Klaus was right. 

Klaus was _always_ right! 

Luther had been holding onto so much anger and hostility over something he shouldn’t have even been upset over! Everything worked out fine in the end for _them_. 

But _Klaus_? He had been silently _struggling_ and in _pain_..for _months_, and he was probably _too afraid_ to ask for help from his siblings. Too afraid that they would yell at him, or belittle him..or worse..

_Not believe him_...

Luther dragged his palm down his face and had to stifle a sob. This was his fault.

This was _all_ his fault..

“_Dammit_,” Started Five.

“Why didn’t he say anything? He’s been in this pain and didn’t tell anyone? Why? It doesn’t make sense!” He was shaking his head angrily, his lip turned into a scowl.

“Well, isn’t it _obvious_, Five?” Diego spat. He went to continue but Luther’s words cut in.

“He was _afraid_ to come to us for help. Can you blame him? We were _awful_ to him.” He paused.

“This is my fault. I ostracized him from this family, made him feel worthless and unwanted. It’s my fault he was afraid to come to us when he needed our help.” A tear rolled down Luther’s face and he quickly wiped it away.

There was a brief pause.

“It isn’t _only_ your fault, Luther. It’s _mine_ too.” Five stopped pacing and looked down at his hands, they were trembling.

“I treated him like shit. Even today, I was so demeaning to him, and for what reason? He didn’t even do anything wrong. I just felt so angry. He didn’t deserve that. Klaus has never had a mean spirited bone in his body. Sure, he’s screwed up in the past, but, like we haven’t? Look at me, I literally disobeyed orders and wound up stuck in the future for over _forty-five years_!” 

“We _all_ screwed up, Five.” Diego stood up, replacing his knife back in his belt.

“None of us were there for him and he needed us. I’m ashamed that he didn’t feel safe to come to us. But, we are _all_ here now, and we won’t let this happen again. Let’s make this _right_.”

All of the siblings nodded in agreement. They’d fucked up but they were here now..and they were going to make sure they were there for Klaus for whatever he may need. 

The door to the infirmary opened and grace stepped out. She smiled at each of her children.

“You can all see him now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh-oh!! Poor Klaus!! At least his family finally knows SOMETHING is wrong!! 
> 
> Next chapter you find out EXACTLY what is wrong with Klaus, so be sure to keep your eyes out for that!! It will be posted on Saturday!!
> 
> Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has read, commented, subscribed, bookmarked, etc you guys rock!! 
> 
> OH—I have a challenge for you guys! I left Luther’s POV when Klaus entered the living room up for interpretation on purpose! I CHALLENGE YOU GUYS to write your OWN accompanying one shot story detailing what YOU thought was going through Luther’s mind when he first saw Klaus after those 2 months of avoiding him! IF YOU DO, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!! I WOULD LOVE LOVE LOVE TO READ THEM!!
> 
> No pressure if you don’t want to, just thought that might be kinda a fun thing for you guys haha!
> 
> Anyways! Thank you all, I hope you enjoyed! <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is you guys!!! The long awaited truth of just what exactly is wrong with our dear, sweet Klaus!
> 
> Be sure to read the note at the end of the story (after you read!!)
> 
> As always, I hope you all enjoy! If you do PLEASE let me know in the comments! I love love love hearing from you guys!! Please, enjoy!! :)

When everyone entered the infirmary Klaus was laying unconscious on the cot. He was hooked to all kinds of machines: A heart monitor, something was clamped to his finger tip to track his oxygen levels. He had a nasal cannula to make getting oxygen to his lungs easier for him. (Grace assured them that was just precautionary) He had an IV in the crook of his elbow in his left arm, providing much needed nutrients to his weak, frail body.

He looked absolutely awful.

Klaus was so pale. He had dark bruising circles under his eyes and his cheek bones jutted out noticeably, giving his face a very gaunt appearance. He had a thin sheen of sweat across his brow. 

_He just looked so sickly_...

The harsh fluorescent lighting of the infirmary certainly wasn’t helping his appearance either.

Allison pulled Klaus’s _HELLO_ hand into her own, gently rubbing comforting circles with her thumb against the back of it. 

Five looked between the heart monitor and his brothers face. He was anxiously biting his thumb nail, a bad habit he must have picked up from Klaus. 

Diego rested his palm against Klaus’s ankle, giving it a gentle squeeze, just to assure him he was there. 

Vanya and Luther stood by Grace, flanking either side of their mother.

“What’s wrong with him?” Vanya asked, pulling her hand to her chest as she absentmindedly fiddled with one of the buttons on her blouse, twisting it around in tight circles between her delicate fingers.

Grace smiled sadly at her children. She walked over to Klaus and tucked a strand of his curls behind his ear.

“His stomach was incredibly swollen and hard to the touch. He had fluid built up in his abdomen. I was able to drain it, which should relieve most of his pain.”

This new information caused each of the siblings to glance around the room to one another, shock displayed vividly on their features. Diego peered to Klaus, a look of disbelief and confusion on his face before turning to his mother.

“Fluid? But, how? W-What would cause that?” Diego questioned.

Grace’s perfectly painted red lips turned down into a tight frown.

“I’m sad to say, I’m not sure. I’m only equipped to treat certain illnesses and injuries. Whatever is wrong with Klaus..” She trailed off, her head tilting sadly, eyes flickering with concern.

“I’m unable to determine it.” She cast her gaze down towards the black and white marbled floors of the infirmary.

“I’m sorry, children.” Diego pulled his mother into a soft reassuring embrace.

“Please, don’t apologize. There is nothing to be sorry about mom, you did your best. Thank you for trying, really.”

Grace nodded.

“He needs to rest. I was able to bring his fever down quite a bit but he is still very sick. I don’t believe moving him right now would be wise. I believe the best course of action is to let him rest tonight and take him to the hospital first thing in the morning.” Everyone nodded in agreement. 

They knew Klaus wouldn’t like it, but he needed proper medical attention. Fluid build up in the abdomen is far from normal. He needed to go to a hospital.

Luther stepped forward and looked at Klaus’s sleeping face. 

He looked _peaceful_. He didn’t look like he was in pain at this time which Luther was beyond grateful for.

“What did you give him to knock him out?” He questioned.

“Nothing, dear. I believe the pain was simply too great. He lost consciousness before I was able to drain all of the fluid from his abdomen. He’s very weak. His body has been through quite a bit of trauma.” She gently tugged the blanket off of Klaus’s upper body to show his siblings.

“I knew his abdomen was swollen, but..” She trailed off as everyone took in the appearance of Klaus’s stomach. Each of the siblings gasped.

Now that the fluid had been drained everyone could see just how thin and frail Klaus had become. His ribs were each perfectly defined, his pelvis protruding like two mountainous peaks to either side of his body. His stomach was so.._hollowed_. He had to have lost at least twenty or thirty pounds in that two month span. 

Ben, who had never left Klaus’s side during the entire procedure to drain his fluids was silently crying in the corner of the room. He had begged Klaus to ask his family for help, _pleaded_ with him to seek medical attention. 

Ben had never felt more helpless in his life _or_ his death...

“He..he mentioned today that he was still going through w-withdrawals. Said he was still having trouble keeping his food down and struggling with nausea. God dammit!” Diego ran his fingers through his own hair and tugged firmly.

“Look at him! We did this. He needed us and..” A sob escaped Diego’s lips. Luther laid his hand on Diego’s shoulder to console him.

“I know, Diego.” 

Grace covered Klaus’s upper body back up with the sheet as he started to tremble from the chills that plagued his frail frame.

“First thing in the morning we are bringing him to the hospital.” Luther ran the back of his finger tips down Klaus’s cheek. Everyone nodded in agreement.

No one left the infirmary that night. All of Klaus’s siblings stayed by his side. Some slept, simply from the pure exhaustion from what just transpired with Klaus. Some couldn’t bring themselves to rest, too anxious and nervous for their brother. 

Grace stayed as well, tending to Klaus to keep his fever under control. It would spike at times, but she managed to lower it back down easily for the most part. 

When the first rays of the sun began to peak through the blinds of the infirmary windows, Luther rallied his siblings, waking the ones who slept. 

Grace disconnected Klaus from all of his machines— He wouldn’t need to bring those with him to the hospital. His body still trembled from the chills that plagued him so she wrapped him up in the sheet from the cot before Luther gathered his brothers unconscious form into his arms. 

Luther hadn’t noticed just how light his brother had become. He was like carrying a rag doll—taking no effort whatsoever. Luther didn’t like that at all, it was extremely worrisome and deeply concerning.

Luther gently laid Klaus’s body in the front passenger seat of their fathers old Rolls Royce. The ill boy groaned as his eyes fluttered then opened.

“What..where are we going?” He questioned tiredly. He glanced around himself, taking in his surroundings. His confused, unfocused eyes met Luther’s steady concerned ones. Klaus blinked his eyes a few times before exhaustion took over and he lost consciousness once more.

Good, Luther wasn’t ready to break the news to Klaus that they were taking him to the hospital against his wishes.

Everyone piled into the car. Luther drove, Klaus riding shotgun. Diego sat behind Luther, Five perched on his lap (he didn’t even complain, he knew this was a dire situation). Vanya was sat in the middle and Allison sat behind Klaus. Allison wrapped her arms around Klaus in an embrace the entire car ride, her upper body braced against the back of his seat. She went between gently rubbing his chest or running her fingers through his sweat soaked hair. 

Klaus was still running a low grade fever which worried all of his siblings. 

It took about twenty minutes for them to reach the hospital. Luther wasted no time scooping Klaus up and rushing him inside.

Luther, carrying Klaus hurried in through the emergency entrance of the hospital.

“Help, please, my brother needs a doctor!” He shouted pleadingly.

A nurse in light blue scubs hurried towards them, pushing a wheelchair. Luther Lowered Klaus into the chair, being careful not to jostle him uncomfortably.

“What happened? Are all of you his family?” The nurse asked, pointing to each sibling. They all nodded in response. 

“We are his brothers and sisters.” Vanya replied.

“And he is very sick. He’s been having trouble eating for weeks and he can’t keep anything down. He has had severe stomach pain for at least two months and..” Luther trailed off.

“He..uh, our moms a nurse and he had..his stomach was swollen so our mom checked him out and he had fluid in his abdomen. She was able to drain it, but she said we had to bring him here. Please, you have to help him.”

The nurses face fell at the description Luther gave. She glanced at Klaus then looked at his siblings again. She knew she couldn’t waste time. 

“Okay, I’m going to need one of you to fill out some paperwork,” She handed Allison a clipboard with medical documentation clipped to it.

“Fill out everything you know about his symptoms, be thorough with the details. Also it asks his insurance information, drug allergies, medical history. In the mean time I’ll bring...”

“Klaus, Klaus Hargreeves.” Diego stated from behind the nurse.

“I’ll bring Klaus back now.” The nurse took in his sickly appearance and felt his sweat soaked forehead — It was very warm. She started pushing the chair towards the double doors to enter the emergency ward.

“Wait,” Called Diego. The nurse glanced back at him expectantly.

“He..he’s a recovering drug addict. He’s a little over sixty days sober.”

The nurse looked at Diego then nodded.

“No narcotics, got it! I’ll have the doctor see him immediately.” With that, Klaus and the nurse disappeared into the emergency ward.

Allison took a seat and immediately started filling out any information she knew about Klaus’s condition. She was sure to reiterate on his medication list that he was a recovering addict and could not have any narcotics. Her hand cramped and burned from how quickly she jotted the information down onto the paperwork. 

When she was done she handed the clipboard to Diego.

“Did I miss anything?” She whispered. She wanted to make sure they didn’t leave anything out. He looked over the paperwork quickly.

“No, it’s perfect. He didn’t tell us all of his symptoms. I hope we put enough.” Allison nodded and Diego ran the documents to the front desk.

“This is the intake paperwork for Klaus Hargreeves. Please make sure the doctor gets it right away.” The nurse at the front desk nodded and accepted the paperwork, disappearing into the back.

All they could do now was wait.

—

_Hours_ passed and they hadn’t heard anything on Klaus’s condition yet. Luther was beginning to worry, what on earth could be taking so long? 

It was already nearing one o’clock in the afternoon. Every sibling was anxiously pacing the hospital waiting room floors. There was so much dread filling the air. Luther’s heart was racing, he could just sense in the pit of his very being that whatever was wrong with Klaus must be serious.

Allison sat down on one of the vacant chairs in the lobby and buried her face into her hands. Her anxiety crept up on her, she couldn’t contain herself as she let out a soft sob. Luther sat down beside her, rubbing soothing circles on her back. Allison thrust herself into Luther’s arms. She needed to be comforted right now. Luther held onto Allison tight, a few tears escaping his eyes as well. He wouldn’t ever admit it, but he needed this right now too.

Another hour came and went before they _finally_ got what they were so desperately waiting for.

A male doctor in dark blue scrubs wearing a long white medical coat entered the waiting room. He held in his hand a clipboard, which he flipped through the pages briefly before peering out towards the lobby.

“Hargreeves?” He called.

Everyone quickly walked up to greet the doctor.

“We’re the siblings of Klaus Hargreeves. How is he?” Diego stated almost frantically. He was desperate to learn how Klaus was doing.

“Hello, I’m Dr. White, I’m Mr. Hargreeves physician. Please, follow me.” The doctor held the door open and gestured the siblings to enter. The siblings followed the doctor down the long wide hall. He lead them into a smaller, more intimate waiting area. 

“When Mr. Hargreeves arrived he was running a fever of 104 degrees. We were able to get his temperature down, I’m happy to announce his fever has broken.” His siblings sighed in relief to that bit of news.

“My nurse informed me that Mr. Hargreeves—“

“Please, call him Klaus.” Allison whispered, knowing how Klaus always hated when anyone would refer to him as Mr. Hargreeves. Klaus always said it sounded too formal, reminded him too much of their dear olé dad.

“Of course, my nurse informed me that _Klaus_ had abdominal swelling and fluid that was drained by your mother, who is a nurse, you said?” The siblings all nodded.

“We ran some tests on Klaus to try to get to the bottom of things. I’m sure you’re aware that fluid in the abdominal cavity is _not_ a typical symptom for withdrawals, but it is a symptom for a small handful of other illnesses.” The siblings nodded again.

“We did some bloodwork as well as an ultrasound, CT scan, PET scan and an MRI. We sent them STAT to our in-house radiologist. I know it can be very stressful when a long time passes and you haven’t heard any updates. But we needed to wait for the test results to come back.”

“Did you get the results back yet?” Vanya questioned.

The doctor nodded.

“Yes, I have the results of all of the tests we ran on Klaus.”

“Well, spit it out then, what’s wrong with him? Is he okay?” Five was growing impatient.

The doctor cleared his throat before continuing on.

“I had my suspicions of what was ailing Klaus as soon as I was informed of the severe abdominal pain and swelling. The fluid in his abdomen is called ascites. It’s typically caused by one certain ailment. But we ran every test we could to be absolutely certain.”

“What is it, what does he have?” Five was balling his fists at his side. 

“You may want to take a seat—“ The doctor began before Luther and Diego interrupted in unison.

“Just say it.”

Vanya took a step forward, her eyebrows pinched together in concern.

“Please, what’s wrong with our brother?”

The doctor sighed sadly.

“I’m sorry to inform you all that your brother Klaus has pancreatic cancer.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys...
> 
> Poor Klaus has cancer :’(
> 
> Major shout out to everyone who guessed cancer! And an even BIGGER shoutout to AglaeSmoak, and MildeAmasoj for being the two people who guessed the exact diagnosis! Y’all are good! 
> 
> Please note: I did a LOT of research on pancreatic cancer for this story but I can only get so much information from google. I did take a lot of creative liberties and mixed it with whatever info I could find.. so if the symptoms or any information doesn’t seem entirely accurate that would be why. Hopefully I didn’t do too terribly bad though! 
> 
> ALSO I would imagine that Reginald would not program Grace to identify or treat cancer. She was programmed to treat I would assume regular every day illnesses that would occur in children as well as injuries they may sustain during their missions. I doubt even Reggie would have guessed to give her the knowledge to handle an illness as severe as cancer. So THAT is why I made it so she couldn’t treat his illness in its entirety. 
> 
> Also, let me know if this chapter was less distracting as far as the italicization goes. I tried to calm down a bit with it in this chapter and only use it for words that I realllly wanted emphasized. Let me know if this is any better! Sorry, I tend to get carried away with italics. I have a lot of fluctuation in my tone of my voice as I talk and I tend to write it out that way by adding the italics. Hopefully this is better!! Sorry!! Lol 
> 
> And as always thank you SO MUCH to everyone who has commented, bookmarked, subscribed, given kudo’s etc. You guys are rock stars! You have no idea how much all of your support means to me! I hope you’ll all continue to enjoy! Please let me know in the comments if you do!! Thanks again!! :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter guys! In case anyone missed it—Make sure you read chapter 7 before this one or you’ll be completely thrown for a loop by the 2nd paragraph haha
> 
> Hope you enjoy!! :)

The room grew deathly still. No one could move, or breathe.. it was like the entire world just stopped.

‘_I’m sorry to inform you all that your brother Klaus has pancreatic cancer_..’

‘_Klaus has pancreatic cancer_..’

‘_Pancreatic cancer_..’

‘_Cancer_..’

The words seemed to linger in the air, floating around in all of their minds like little bubbles that would burst at any moment. 

No one could bring themselves to speak. This news was..unexpected, to say the least. It was shocking and absolutely _devastating_.

The doctor waited for Klaus’s siblings to absorb this information. He knew how difficult this must be for all of them.

“I know this is a lot to take in. I’m very sorry, but, it appears Klaus has stage 4 pancreatic cancer. It has already metastasized to his kidneys and his liver. I’m afraid it’s _terminal_ at this point.”

Vanya instantly broke down, her small body quaking with heavy sobs.

“What options does he have? Is there any treatment, anything at all to be done?” Luther demanded to know. This couldn’t be it, there’s always something that can be done.

_Isn’t there_?

“We could try slowing the cancer’s progression down with Chemotherapy or radiation— or a combination of the two. But Klaus’s health has already deteriorated a fair amount. Those treatments are very difficult on the patient. He would be more sick than he already is. In my professional opinion, the risks would outweigh the benefits.” The doctor paused to take in a breath before he continued.

“I’m afraid Klaus is already in the end of life stages of his illness. There’s..not much we can do, except try to make him as comfortable as possible for the rest of the time he has left.”

The silence that had taken over was gone instantly as each sibling broke down. 

Gut wrenching sobs filled the air of the small space the siblings shared.

_Everyone expresses grief in different ways_..

Diego kicked and tossed the waiting room chairs down in the small lobby. He was yelling in anguish and frustration, hot tears of utter despair freely cascading down his flushed cheeks.

Allison latched onto Vanya, both sisters shuddering in each others embrace, sobs wracking their bodies.

Five’s eyes were blown wide in shock and disbelief. His knees buckled from beneath him—he collapsed onto his hands and knees, pounding his fists against the harsh cold tile floors.

“No, dammit! No! Not like this!” He wailed.

Luther’s eyes were filled with tears. He stood there, staring at the face of the doctor who just told them their brothers fate.

_This was it_..

Klaus was _dying_ and there was nothing they could do but sit there and watch him fade.

_This wasn’t fair_..

After _everything_ they put him through...

They needed time to heal the wounds between them...

They needed time to mend their mistakes they made with their brother..

_They just needed time_...

But time was the one thing they did _not_ have.

“How long does he have? Until he—“ Luther couldn’t bare to finish the question. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to know the answer. But he _needed_ to know.

The doctor looked at the clipboard in his hands and sighed, adjusting the thinly framed glasses on his face before he looked back into Luther’s watery eyes.

“Considering how far along the cancer has already progressed—I think Klaus has anywhere from six weeks to six months. I’m very sorry there isn’t much more I can do for your brother.” The doctor laid a consoling hand on Luther’s shoulder.

“Does.. does Klaus know?” Luther’s lip was quivering.

“Does he know that he’s _dying_?” Luther’s voice wavered on the final word as a sob broke through his lips. Luther covered his mouth with his hand to try to silence himself. He needed to stay strong, he couldn’t break down. Not yet.

“Yes, he is aware.” 

“Can w-we see him? P-P-Please?” Diego pleaded. He was barely holding it together.

The doctor nodded.

“Yes. He has been drifting in and out of consciousness. He is very weak, but I’m sure he would love to be surrounded by his loved ones at this time.”

The doctor lead the siblings to a dimly lit room at the end of the small hall.

Klaus was laying on the bed, unconscious. He looked absolutely wrecked and exhausted but his expression was peaceful. His siblings poured into the room, each surrounding his bed. They were struggling to keep their wailing in check. They didn’t want to alarm Klaus. He had enough on his plate as it was.

A whimper escaped Diego’s throat. He couldn’t _bare_ to see Klaus like this. 

_He couldn’t stand knowing that his brother was dying_...

He threw himself at Klaus, clutching at his body as delicately as he could. He just _needed_ to hold him. He craved his presence so desperately in this moment. He never wanted to let his brother go.

“I l-l-love you so much, Klaus.” He whimpered.

“This isn’t happening, it can’t be real. It just can’t.” He couldn’t hold back his anguish any longer. Five had to pull Diego away from Klaus. He pulled him away from Klaus’s bed and gathered him tightly into his own arms. The brothers held onto each other, each struggling to silence their sobs.

Allison ran her fingers through Klaus’s curls and placed a gentle kiss on his temple, one of her tears landed on his pale cheek.

The siblings stayed there with Klaus. It took some time but their sobs started to slow.

Nearly an hour passed and they were all surrounded around his bed once more. 

They couldn’t take their eyes off of him— it felt almost as though if they looked away Klaus would just _disappear_. 

Klaus’s eyes fluttered and finally opened. He looked around at each of his siblings and he _smiled_— His huge, goofy toothy grin he always had.

“Hey, guys.” He sounded tired, no one was surprised.

A strangled sob escaped Allison’s lips and Klaus’s smile faltered slightly.

“Hey, now. Come on, none of that. Come here,” He patted his bed and Allison laid down next to Klaus, burying her face into his chest, his heartbeat thumping against her tear stained cheek. He rested his chin against the crown of Allison’s head, wrapping his frail arms around her waist and rocked her gently.

“Hey, shh shh..it’s okay.”

“Okay? None of this is okay, Klaus!” Luther couldn’t hold his tongue. Klaus was _dying_ and he was acting like there was nothing wrong. How were they supposed to not cry? Not weep for him? They were losing him! They were _mourning_ him!

“Luther..it’s okay.” Klaus sounded out of breath. 

“I’m..dying, I guess. Okay, fine. But I’m okay. Don’t worry about me.”

“How can we not worry, Klaus? We are losing you! Everything is so messed up. These past couple of months we put you through hell, and now, this? We need you, Klaus—I need you!” Luther couldn’t hold his sobs any longer. He broke down.

Klaus looked at Luther with a sad expression. He couldn’t imagine what his siblings must be feeling right now. He wasn’t really even sure how _he_ was feeling about his diagnosis. 

Ever since he got the diagnosis Klaus felt like he was in a fog, or a dream. Like he was asleep and he just had to wake up and everything would be fine. He would be fine. 

_But he knew that wasn’t the case_...

When he was told his diagnosis the first thing he felt was confusion. 

Why was this happening to him? 

He only started getting any symptoms when he quit using drugs, the hardcore symptoms the past six weeks..had the cancer formed that quickly? 

The doctor assured him he probably had it for months if not years already. He explained that pancreatic cancer is a silent killer. Usually you didn’t know you had it until it was too late. 

_And unfortunately, for Klaus, it was far too late_...

Ben was there, standing beside him, holding his hand in spirit through all of the tests. He was there when Klaus was informed of the news— That he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer. That it was terminal, there was nothing to be done. 

_He was there when Klaus found out that he was dying_...

In many ways, Ben felt like he was dying again, too. While he had already died years ago himself, he still always was connected to his family through Klaus and his abilities. He never truly _felt_ dead. But Klaus was his tether to this world. With Klaus gone...Ben would be gone as well.

Klaus was numb. He could hear the words coming from the doctors mouth but they seemed to simply tumble from his lips and shatter against the floor, never quite reaching his ears. He just couldn’t process it. Was he saying he was..dying?

Klaus closed his eyes for a moment to hold back his tears. He wasn’t ready to die—he still had so much to live for! 

He was finally learning the extent of his powers. He was getting excellent control at conjuring Ben. 

He was excited to do things with his brother that Ben never got the chance to do while he was Alive. He couldn’t wait to experience new things with Ben, let him continue living vicariously through him. 

_He was going to conjure Dave_..

Now he would never get the chance. So many stones left unturned, so many words left unsaid. There were so many things he was going to be missing out on...

He looked up and into Luther’s eyes.

“I need you too, Luther. I need all of you.” He glanced around his bed to each of his siblings. 

Seeing them upset was killing him, but aside from the hurt and sadness in the room the most overwhelming sensation surrounding him.. was _love_.

_They loved him, and he loved them_...

“I love you guys..I love you all so much. I missed you. Just, come here. No sadness, please. Reunions are supposed to be happy times.” Klaus held up his trembling arms, beckoning Luther to come to him. 

Luther latched onto Klaus, he pulled him into a tight yet gentle embrace. Luther was sobbing. Klaus rubbed soothing circles in his brothers back and hugged Luther as strong as his weak body would allow, his own tears trickling down his face.

“As long as I have all of you, I’ll be okay.”

—-

Klaus had to stay in the hospital to be monitored for a couple of days. His siblings never left his side.

Dr. White referred Klaus to an oncologist at the hospital who would take over his case. He knew he would be in better hands with Dr. Thomas, who specialized in pancreatic cancer.

Dr. Thomas explained to Klaus his options for his end of life care. 

He could choose to either stay home but come to the hospital at least once a week to have his blood levels drawn to monitor his cancer progression, or he could have nurses come to his home, instead.

They informed the doctor their mother was a nurse and asked if she could do it herself, to which the doctor said that would be fine. Whatever would be easier for Klaus— make him feel more comfortable.

The doctors informed Klaus and his family that pancreatic cancer is extremely painful, especially the further along it progresses. Knowing he was a recovering addict, Dr. Thomas knew this would be a difficult decision, but he _strongly_ recommended that Klaus consider taking something for the pain. 

_Klaus refused_. 

“Klaus, if you need it you should take it. No one would look at you any differently.” Diego encouraged. Klaus was already in so much pain he couldn’t bare the thought of him getting worse and not accepting the pain medication if it would help him.

“No, I won’t. I won’t do it.” Klaus would not budge.

Finally, Klaus was able to return home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading! I appreciate every single one of you guys who have given kudos, bookmarked, subscribed, left a comment! I appreciate all of your kind words and encouragement! You guys are seriously so amazing! Thank you!!! 
> 
> Authors note- I feel like I should state quickly—so, idk if it would even be a little bit accurate for a doctor to basically refuse treatment like they did in this chapter. They probably WOULD still recommend he take chemo or SOMETHING to help deter the spread of the cancer etc etc..but I just didn’t want to complicate things too much with medications and additional symptoms and all that. I’m no doctor but for THIS story, it was better for Klaus’s comfort and well being to avoid the treatment. In case anyone read that and thought “yeah, no. This wouldn’t happen.” You’re probably right, BUT I don’t know! Lol so hopefully this is just fine!
> 
> Again thank you all so so so so so so much!! I hope you’ll all continue to read and enjoy!! As always if you do PLEASE leave me a comment and let me know!! I love comments so much they make me insanely happy!! Next chapter will be up on Saturday so be sure to keep an eye out for that one!! Thank you all again!! :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter guys!! I hope you all enjoy!! :)
> 
> As always, if you do please leave a comment and let me know!! I love reading all of your wonderful comments!! :)

It had been two weeks since Klaus returned home from the hospital.

Two weeks since he was informed he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

_Two weeks since he found out he was dying_...

His pain stayed away for a while after Grace drained the fluid from his abdomen. He was even able to eat in small quantities. He still would vomit at least twice a day, but that was still a huge improvement from before.

Unfortunately, that bliss only lasted for about four days before his abdomen began to swell again, the fluid (ascites, as the doctor called it) returning with a vengeance. 

Grace drained it again, but it kept coming back. At first it took a couple of days to do so, but after the third time it started coming back within one days span, and then within just a few hours. 

_Klaus couldn’t take it anymore_... 

He decided to stop having Grace drain his abdominal fluid unless the pain became too severe for him to handle. He would rather live with it than deal with the agonizing pain it brought as it returned each time.

Klaus was _constantly_ in pain. The swelling in his belly stretched and pulled at his insides. He always felt like he was being torn apart from within. 

His nausea increased when his pain levels returned. He could no longer keep anything down. But he would be damned if he wouldn’t at least try to eat. 

Since returning home to the academy _everything_ changed. His siblings were constantly there for him. He never felt alone, or neglected. He felt overwhelmed with the outpouring of love and affection his family finally gave to him.

Klaus had never felt more happy, more loved in his entire life. It was a strange and foreign concept to him, one that he welcomed happily with open arms. 

_It was just sad that it was only in the wake of his impending death that he got to feel this way_...

Having terminal cancer was so exhausting. Klaus used to mostly sleep his days away to avoid his family. Now, he felt like he was losing out on precious time with them because of it.

There was only twenty-four hours in a day and Klaus swore he slept for at least twenty of them—It felt like it, anyways. 

It was like as soon as his conscience knew he had cancer his body accepted it and started to give up on him..

Klaus wouldn’t allow that to happen, though.

He was tired and constantly in pain but Klaus would be _damned_ if he wasted what little time he had left. He already missed out on not only the two months following the apocalypse, but for many years beforehand. His days may be numbered, but dammit he was going to make every moment count. 

He was going to make up for all of his lost time with his family. 

_With the people he loved_...

Klaus was laying in his bed, his body propped up against multiple pillows. Since the swelling and fluid returned it had become extremely uncomfortable for Klaus to lay down flat or on his side. His eyes were closed and his hands rested on his stomach. 

It was nearing noon and Klaus was finally waking up from his nap—that he started _the day before_ at six in the afternoon. 

His eyes fluttered open. He peered around his room and took in his surroundings. Ben was laying beside him on his bed, his back pressed against the wall. He smiled at Klaus when he realized he was awake.

“Hey, sleeping beauty.” Ben greeted softly.

Klaus smiled at Ben tiredly.

“Hey, Benny.” Klaus closed his eyes again for a moment. He hated how tired he was.

“I did it again, didn’t I?” 

Ben looked at Klaus sadly.

“Yeah, but, it’s okay Klaus. You needed the rest.”

“How long this time?” Klaus pressed. He opened his eyes again and stared up at his ceiling.

“Eighteen hours.” 

Klaus sighed. He wasted _eighteen hours_ of precious time he could have spent with his family on _sleeping_. 

_He was so fucking tired of being tired_...

He missed the way he used to be—Klaus always had boundless amounts of energy, an un phased charisma about him. Now he barely had enough energy to walk downstairs to their living room. 

Klaus pulled the blankets away from his frame and sat up on his bed, swinging his legs over the edge. It took him a minute to do so as anytime he would move it would send an immense amount of pain shooting through his abdomen. 

He planted his feet on his bedroom floor, digging his toes into his plush rug. He held himself upright in a seated position with his right hand sprawled on his mattress, his left hand draped over his belly. He held his eyes closed as the room spun dizzyingly around him. 

_Klaus always got lightheaded now whenever he would sit or stand up_... 

“Just take a few deep breaths, Klaus. In and out..” Ben instructed him. 

That’s another thing that really sucked about this whole ‘terminally ill’ bullshit, Klaus always felt _breathless_ now. 

Just sitting up stole his oxygen from him. The swelling in his abdomen constantly pressed against his lungs. Every simple task winded him so easily, he hated it so much. 

If he was going to die, fine. But _fuck_ couldn’t he die with a little more dignity?

Klaus took a few deep breaths and opened his eyes. The dizzying feeling had passed, so he raised to his feet and headed towards his bedroom door. 

Ben followed, staying close by his brothers side. It pained him to know that if Klaus actually needed any physical assistance he couldn’t help him, but Klaus assured him his presence being there alone was more than enough.

“Where are we heading?” Ben questioned, smiling at Klaus. 

Klaus shrugged.

“I should probably try to eat. Then, I don’t know. Maybe, watch TV?” He wasn’t hungry and didn’t really have a plan, but he knew he should at least try and maybe see if anyone wanted to hang out with him.

“Who’s home?” 

“Luther and Diego. Allison’s at therapy and Vanya and Five are out grocery shopping.” Klaus nodded in understanding.

He slowly made his way down the hallway to the staircase. Klaus wasn’t moving particularly fast these days, just walking at all seemed to drain him of so much precious energy. 

He hated to admit it, but he could tell with each passing day that he was becoming weaker and weaker. It scared Klaus to realize he was fading so rapidly. He was only diagnosed two weeks ago, but his prognosis for life only ranged from six weeks to six months. Two weeks already passed by, too quickly for Klaus. It terrified him how quickly it went—How fast his short life was already passing him by. 

Klaus paused when he made it to the lip of the staircase. He wrapped his hand around the bannister and stood there for a moment. He heaved a few breaths of air into his oxygen deprived lungs.

“Take a minute if you need to, Klaus.” Ben encouraged from beside him.

Klaus nodded his head in acknowledgment. He took a few more breaths then started his descent down the stairs, taking them one step at a time. 

He made it about half way down before he needed to stop for another quick break to catch his breath. His hand on the bannister was lightly trembling from fatigue. His loose hand snaked over his belly as a sharp pain came quickly then disappeared. He harshly inhaled a breath then groaned out softly, his face distorted with pain. His eyes screwed shut.

“You okay? Do you need to sit down?” Klaus could only nod in response before slowly lowering himself down onto the steps. He leaned back against the stairs— the hard wood dug uncomfortably into his back, but he didn’t care. He was so out of breath, the room was spinning again. He was just in so much pain...

“Klaus, are you okay?” Diego walked out of the kitchen and saw Klaus sitting precariously on the steps. He immediately ran to him, climbing the stairs three steps at a time. Diego stooped down onto his knee beside his brother, gently placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Klaus opened his eyes and smiled tiredly at Diego.

“I’m okay, really. Just need a minute to catch my breath.” He placed his left hand over Diego’s and squeezed it reassuringly. 

Diego laid down next to Klaus on the steps. If his brother needed a minute to rest then he could take one—but Diego would stay with him through it. 

Klaus closed his eyes to focus on his breathing (and also to wait for this dizzying feeling to pass). He had his right hand draped over his belly, his left hand laid beside him on the steps. 

Diego laced his fingers into Klaus’s free hand and just held it there. Klaus smiled and tightened his grip on Diego’s hand. The brothers both appreciated that small act. It was comforting to both of them. They relished every moment they could be in each others embrace. Whether it be a hug, or simply holding each others hand. 

Klaus didn’t want to forget what this felt like, this overwhelming feeling of love he got anytime Diego showed him any small token of affection. 

He cherished every second of it. He didn’t know how many more precious moments like these he would get..

A couple of minutes passed and Klaus finally felt well enough to continue his trek downstairs.

“Okay, I’m good now.” Diego nodded before he sat up. He grabbed a hold of the bannister and hoisted himself upright.

“Alright, ready? Here we go.” Diego snaked his right arm around Klaus, looping his arm under his sickly brothers left shoulder for support. He helped get Klaus vertical again, which he appreciated. He let out a soft grunt from the discomfort it caused for his belly, causing Diego to eye him worriedly. Klaus just waved his hand at him and smiled again.

“I’m okay. Seriously. Thank you, Di.” 

“Of course, Klaus.” Diego kept his grip on Klaus’s shoulders and helped guide him down the rest of the stairs. They moved slowly, but Klaus appreciated Diego’s assistance and unwavering patience. When they reached the bottom Diego lead Klaus to the couch in the living room. Klaus sat down and blinked his eyes rapidly a few times.

“Dizzy again?” Diego asked him, noticing the way Klaus seemed to sway from his position on the sofa. 

“Yeah, just a little. It’ll pass.” Klaus leaned back on the couch, resting his head against the back of it. He kept his eyes shut, he felt so tired again.

“I’m going to get you some water, I’ll be right back.” Diego turned to leave but Klaus’s soft voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Wait, Diego. Would you mind bringing me something to eat, too?” He asked it so softly Diego almost didn’t hear him. He turned to look at Klaus, who in turn opened his eyes and tilted his head to peer at his brother.

“Yeah, sure, of course. What are you hungry for?” He asked. 

“Nothing, really. Maybe.. maybe some soup?” Diego nodded and headed into the kitchen.

“Soup coming right up.” 

Klaus really wasn’t hungry at all. Well, he was hungry, but he knew it probably would be painful for him to eat. He couldn’t bring himself to eat more than once a day, usually. And he typically would vomit shortly afterwards. But he had been trying in vain to eat more solid foods like toast or crackers. 

Water never really seemed to make his stomach upset, he hoped some soup would maybe have a similar effect?

Diego returned a few minutes later with a bottle of water and a mug filled just below the brim with chicken noodle soup. Klaus had adjusted himself on the couch so he was sitting more upright, a pillow tucked behind his back. Diego sat beside Klaus and handed him the water first.

“Still dizzy? Take a few sips of this first. You might be a little dehydrated, bro.” 

Klaus nodded and graciously took the bottle from Diego’s hands. He unscrewed the lid and guzzled a few sips. He was feeling a little parched after his eighteen hour nap. 

He hoped that explained why he had such difficulty with the stairs today...

Klaus was always tired and winded, sure, but this was the first time he had to stop halfway down. He’d like to think it was just because he was dehydrated, anyways. He’d rather believe that than give into the thought that he was even weaker, yet again. Simple daily tasks becoming nearly impossible to complete. 

No, it was the lack of water. That was all. 

Klaus put the lid back on the bottle and laid it on the couch beside him.

“Here,” Diego handed Klaus the soup. He put it in a mug to make it easier for Klaus to hold onto. 

“Thanks, Di.” Klaus pulled the mug to his nose and inhaled. Chicken noodle soup was always his favorite when he was little and didn’t feel well. He just hoped it would soothe him as much now as it did back then. Diego went to hand Klaus a spoon but Klaus just held the mug to his lips. He blew on the contents to cool it a little and eventually slurped a few small sips of the broth. The warm liquid felt amazing to his cramped uncomfortable belly. Klaus was so thankful, maybe he finally could have a meal he could keep down.

Klaus smiled and sighed.

“It’s just like old times.” 

Diego smiled as Klaus excitedly sipped at his soup. It made him so incredibly happy to see his brother eating without it seeming to cause him any pain. 

Klaus finished the soup. Well, the broth. He didn’t eat the noodles, chicken or vegetables because he worried that may be pushing his luck too far. If he seemed okay after this meal then maybe tomorrow he would try to eat the whole thing!

He leaned against the couch again as Diego took the remnants of the soup and set it on the coffee table. Klaus laid his hands on his stomach and gently rubbed it.

“You okay?” Diego questioned. He was worried Klaus was getting sick again.

Klaus sat there for a moment before breaking into a giant genuine smile, a tear rolled down his cheek.

“I’m great. I’m full, but comfortably so. It’s a fucking miracle!” Klaus let out a soft giggle, his smile never ceasing even though his lips began to tremble. 

It had been _months_ since he could do this without immediate nausea. He was so unbelievably happy and relieved. 

Ben was sitting on the coffee table in front of Klaus, his own eyes brimming with tears of joy. Diego smiled and laughed happily. This was a huge accomplishment for Klaus. They only prayed it would last.

—

Fortunately for Klaus, it did. 

_Thank God_...

The nausea never came that day, he never vomited after that meal. He tried again the next day, even eating a few of the noodles and vegetables. Still, the nausea never came. He tried again the next day, and the next and for three beautiful full _weeks_ of bliss he never felt the urge to vomit. 

It gave Klaus a new lease on life! He finally had energy he lost long ago, before he even knew of his cancer diagnosis. He felt stronger now than he had in so long, as well. He was still tired, of course, and still was in quite a bit of pain, but he now had energy to stay up later with his siblings to watch movies, play games and even just talk. It was glorious! Klaus was happy, truly happy!

He never wanted this beautiful feeling to end, he only hoped it would last..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah!! Finally a little good news for sweet Klaus!!
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed!! Thank you to everyone who has continued to read and enjoy my little story!! Thank you everyone who has bookmarked, given kudos, subscribed, commented etc so far!! Love and appreciate you all so much!!
> 
> If you love it or hate it PLEASE let me know in the comments! I welcome any words of encouragement or suggestions and appreciate anything you all have to say!! 
> 
> Thank you!!! <3


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok guys, here is chapter 10!! I hope you all enjoy it!! This was one of my favorite chapters to write! :)

For three beautiful weeks Klaus felt _amazing_. He had more energy, an appetite, no nausea. He slept for fewer hours during the day, and actually got to enjoy precious time with his beloved siblings. 

He even put on a little weight, his face began to look slightly less gaunt. He finally had the energy to joke around with his siblings the way he once did.

Klaus was beginning to feel like himself again, only genuinely _happier_. 

One morning he was laying in his bed, it was early, (for him, anyways) at about Nine O’Clock in the morning. He smiled and stretched as much as his swollen belly would allow. 

“Morning Benjamin!” He stated through a yawn.

Ben smiled back at Klaus and rolled his eyes.

“Morning Klaus, sleep well?” 

“Fantastically my dear boy! Y tu?” Ben just shook his head and laughed.

“I don’t sleep, but I had a lovely night watching you sleep peacefully. That’s good enough for me.” 

Klaus just giggled and smiled at his brother lovingly. 

He was so grateful to have had Ben through this. 

To have had Ben through every obstacle in his life, really. Ben was there for him for all of his ups and downs, his high’s (both literal, and metaphorical) and lows. He never left his side. 

He was there for him to comfort him through his times being homeless on the street, anytime he was in rehab, or jail. He never felt truly alone out in this world because Ben was always there by his side—never wavering. He stuck around even now, through his cancer diagnosis. 

Klaus always felt that his abilities to see and talk to the dead was a curse. But if there was one thing he was ever _truly_ grateful for, it was his ability allowing him to keep Ben to himself for all of these years after he passed so tragically all those years ago. 

He was just so happy he was lucky enough to always have had Ben there with him. 

Klaus’s smile wavered as he stared deep into his brothers eyes. Ben noticed the sudden change in disposition and leaned in closer.

“What’s wrong Klaus, you okay?”

Klaus’s lip began to tremble and he quickly wiped a tear from his eye before it got the chance to fall.

“What is it buddy, you alright?” Ben looked at Klaus sorrowfully. 

“It’s just..” Klaus began.

“I..I’m so grateful for you, Ben. So fucking grateful for everything you’ve ever done for me. You have been my rock through all of _this_,” Klaus gestured to his swollen abdomen and shrunken physique—to his _cancer_. 

“You’ve been the one person I could always count on. For everything Ben, you were always there. You never let me down, not even once. You pushed me to be the best I could be my entire life. You guided me through my darkest times and helped me see the light, Ben. You were there for me when I was on the streets, you stayed by my side for all of my times in rehab. Every hospital stay, or stint in jail—you were always there. You’re my best friend in this entire fucking world. I just hope you know how much I appreciate you, man. I’ve always appreciated you, but I’ve never told you, not even once. I..I love you, Ben. I mean that with every fiber of my being. I love you so much.” Tears were gently tumbling down Klaus’s cheeks now. Ben just smiled sadly at his brother.

“You don’t have to say anything Klaus, honest. I always knew you were thankful, some things can be left unsaid. I would do it over and over again. I’ll always be there for you Klaus. Now and through eternity. I’ll always be by your side. I love you too, Klaus. More than you’ll ever know. I fucking love you.” A soft sob escaped Klaus’s lips. Ben wanted so desperately to pull his brother into an embrace. He needed a hug right now. 

_They both did_...

“I’m so sorry Ben..” Klaus whispered through his tears.

“Sorry? Why on earth are you sorry? You have nothing to be sorry for!” Ben assured him, a gentle smile spreading over his own tear streaked face.

“I’m sorry I was so selfish with you. I conjured you to myself every single time. I never let you interact with the others. They never got to say goodbye to you. I’ve been greedy, and selfish and kept you to myself all of these years. And even when I could have shared you with the others, I didn’t. That was wrong of me, Ben! I’m so sorry! I should have let you talk to them. I should have let you be able to hold them, to let you get the closure you all deserved. I’m so fucking sorry, Ben! I’m taking you away from them. I’m ruining your chances of ever getting to reconnect with them. Ruining your chances to ever get to say goodbye. I’m so sorry...” 

Ben’s heart shattered at Klaus’s words. He was upset at himself for dying, basically. He was being far too hard on himself.

“Klaus, no. Please no, don’t _ever_ think like that. You can’t control the world. I had my time already. It was unexpected, sure. I may not have gotten to say goodbye, but I didn’t have to because I never truly left. You can’t help that you’re sick, Klaus. I’m not upset at all, really I’m not! I’m just happy I’m here for you and the others. That’s all that matters. _You are all that matters_. Please don’t be upset for me. Please.” Klaus just nodded, wiping away his tears with the back of his unsteady hands. 

How could he not feel upset? His illness was ruining Ben’s ‘life after death’. He was the single tethered connection Ben had to this world. His death would sever that tie. Klaus couldn’t allow that to happen, at least not without Ben getting his proper goodbye..

_He knew what he had to do_...

—-

That emotional breakdown took a lot out of Klaus, so he ended up taking around a two hour nap. He awoke around lunch time and decided to go downstairs to have his meal for the day.

He got out of bed with a little more ease these days, the nourishment his body was getting from his daily meal of chicken noodle soup seemed to lessen his dizzy spells, which was a huge relief. He made his way out of his bedroom and headed down the hall. He still got winded rather easily, just from all of the pressure from the fluid in his abdomen pressing against his lungs, so he still paused to catch his breath before heading down the stairs. 

Once he reached the bottom, he made his way into the kitchen where Luther was making a fresh batch of chicken noodle soup and Five was sipping his coffee.

“Top ‘o the mornin, lads!” Klaus announced his presence with an exaggerated Irish accent and a smile, tipping his proverbial hat as he sat down across from Five at the table.

“Good afternoon, you mean?” Five teased at his brother but shot him a smile as he patted his forearm.

“Soups almost ready, Klaus. Did you sleep well?” Luther asked over his shoulder while he continued to stir the soup with a wooden spoon.

“Wonderfully! Woke up feeling refreshed. I am a little famished though. Tummy’s a rumbling. Grrr.” He joked, rubbing his stomach. 

His brothers couldn’t contain their smiles. They were just so happy to have Klaus back to his old antics. They didn’t know how long this would last, but they were enjoying every second of it while they could. 

“Coming in hot.” Luther ladled the soup into a large mug and set the steaming meal in front of Klaus. He smiled and slid it closer to himself, leaning over it and blowing into the mug to cool the contents.

“Yum yum yummy, get in my tummy!” He sang before slurping a few sips down. His brothers watched him eat happily. When Klaus finished eating he slid the mug away from himself, rubbing his full belly.

“Delicious Luther, really. You outdid yourself!” He kissed his fingers to his lips. 

“I’m glad I could be of service.” Luther smiled and rubbed Klaus’s shoulders gently.

“Hey guys, who’s all home?” Klaus asked sitting up and resting his elbows on the table. He laced his fingers together and rested his chin on his hands. 

“Everyone. Vanya is practicing her violin, Allison was taking a shower before we came down here and Diego’s in his room. Why, what’s up?” Luther asked, taking a seat next to Klaus and handing him a bottle of water.

“Oh, danka!” Klaus took the bottle and quickly swallowed a few sips before placing it back down on the table.

“I want to have a family meeting tonight. It’s mandatory, everyone must come.” Five and Luther glanced at each other.

“Is everything okay?” Five asked, his eyebrows knitting together with concern.

Klaus waved his hands in the air dismissively at his brothers.

“Oh, yeah, everything is fine! Just be there and bring everyone. See you all in the living room in thirty!” 

—-

Everyone met in the living room thirty minutes later. Klaus had piled a throne of pillows on the floor and was sitting on top of them, his legs crossed before him, his back pressed against the couch, propped up with an extra pillow. 

“Klaus, what’s going on, you okay?” Vanya asked as she walked towards him. She sat down beside him and placed her hand on his knee. He smiled at her warmly and laid his hand over hers.

“I’m fine, really. There’s just something really important I need to do. Can you all sit down, please, make yourselves comfortable.” Everyone looked around at each other before they finally all sat down. Allison sat on the couch behind Klaus to his right, Luther sat on a chair across from Vanya, Diego sat beside Klaus on his pillow fortress he created and Five sat on the coffee table. Klaus looked around at all of his siblings, including Ben, who was sitting on the coffee table beside Five. 

Klaus flashed his huge toothy grin at Ben. He took in a deep breath and blew it out.

“Guys, I know I’m dying, and I’m thankful we are all getting to spend some time together and make beautiful memories together before I, well, kick the bucket, as they say.”

“Klaus—“ Diego started to interrupt but Klaus shushed him and continued.

“I mean it. I’m so incredibly happy, I’ve never felt more love in my entire life as I have these last few weeks. I’m so thankful for each and every single one of you. I love you all so much. I appreciate everything you all have done for me. The love you have shown me..” He trailed off and smiled again as a tear slid down his cheek. Diego wiped his tear away and rested his hand on his shoulder.

“We love you so much Klaus, we would do anything for you.” Klaus nodded at Diego and patted his knee.

“I would do anything for each and every one of you, too. Unfortunately, I may never get a proper chance for that, and I am truly sorry for that.” Klaus paused and stared directly at Ben.

“There’s one person here that I truly owe so much to, I don’t even know where to begin. I wish I could give them the entire world, they deserve it after putting up with me for so long.” His siblings glanced around the room at one another. They didn’t know where Klaus was going with this. 

_But Ben did_...

“Klaus, no, don’t even think about it.”

“I should have done this a long time ago.” Klaus rubbed his hands together.

“Guys, I’m getting a proper farewell, but Ben never got that chance. Once I’m gone, he will be too. In a way, Ben is dying again with me. I can’t..I can’t let him miss out on his chance to say goodbye.” 

“Klaus, you can’t, don’t do it! I don’t need to say goodbye!”

“You’ve got two minutes,” Klaus smiled at Ben lovingly before closing his eyes.

“Make it count, this is your last chance at closure.” 

With that, Klaus’s eyes clenched tighter as he focused all of his training and energy into conjuring Ben.

_This one last time_...

Klaus’s fingers began to tingle, a blue light enveloped his hands, and spread up his forearms like a vine. 

“B-Ben?” Diego stuttered, instinctively sitting forward, sending himself towards his deceased brother.

Klaus did it. 

He honestly wasn’t sure if he would be able to manage, but today was a particularly good day for him, so he knew he had to take full advantage. 

Ben looked around at his siblings as they all _looked_ at him in awe. Five’s hands trembled as he reached them forward towards Ben, his fingers touching his brothers face, feeling his skin. A tear rolled down Five’s cheek and he lunged himself at his brother, pulling him into a tight embrace. His fingers twisted into his brothers jacket, pulling him as close to himself as he could.

“I can’t believe it’s you!” He wailed. 

Diego latched onto him next, pulling him and Five against his chest. He sobbed into Ben’s shoulder. Ben hugged them both back, wiping their tears and whispering words of reassurance and love to them. He backed away from their embrace, laying his hands on each of their shoulders. Allison and Vanya came next, and surrounded him, tangling their arms around his torso. He laughed and kissed their cheeks, holding them both tightly and rubbing their backs. Luther came last. He looked at Ben and didn’t even know what to do or say. Ben extended his arm, beckoning Luther to join the embrace. He did, he clutched onto Ben with trembling arms. All of his siblings returned to the embrace, it was a tangled mess of limbs and tears, but Ben was overwhelmed with the outpour of love. He needed this much more than he realized.

“I love you all so much, I’m going to miss each and every single one of you.” He glanced at Klaus. He could tell he couldn’t hold on much longer, his face was beginning to show his pain and his arms were shaking, body lightly swaying. Ben was sure the two minutes must have already passed. 

_He didn’t have much time_...

“And, I don’t want any of you to worry. I’ll be fine, of course. And so will Klaus. I stuck by his side through my death, I stayed by him in his worst times and his best times. I’ll continue to stay by his side. When his—when his time comes, I’ll be there to guide him, I promise. He will never be alone. I’ll stick by his side forever.”

“Promise?” It was Klaus who asked. He had his eyes opened into slits. He was losing momentum. Ben and his siblings all looked at Klaus. They knew he couldn’t keep this up. All of the siblings arms released Ben and he smiled one last time at each of them before making his way to Klaus. Ben knelt down in front of his sickly brother, placing his hands on his shoulders and looked him straight in his glimmering green eyes, peering deep into his soul.

“I promise.” Ben leaned in and pulled Klaus into the tightest embrace he could muster. He needed this for so long. He craved his brothers presence for the longest time and now he finally had it. He didn’t want it to end, he never wanted to let go. But he knew eventually he would have to to.

“Thank you Klaus, I appreciate this more than you’ll ever know. I love you so much.” He hugged him tighter before gently releasing him from his embrace. Ben turned his focus to the rest of his siblings.

“I love all of you so much!”

“We love you too, Ben.” 

“Goodbye, Ben.” His Siblings chorused through their tears. 

“Goodbye, for now.” 

And with that, Ben’s presence disappeared from his siblings sights as the blue light flickered and stopped...

_Fading away forever from Klaus’s hands_...

Klaus groaned as his eyes fluttered, his body went limp and he collapsed to his right. Five spacial jumped to Klaus and cradled him before he could fall against the hardwood floors.

“Klaus, easy! I got you, I got you.” Five brushed a sweaty curl from his face and held him tight. He was out of breath and exhausted. 

More than that though, he was happy...

He was _proud_ he could do this for his siblings, each and every single one of them deserved that closure. He was proud he was able to give that to them. 

“Klaus, I love you, and I appreciate you for that, but you shouldn’t have.” Ben was beside him, tears streaming down his face, both from the overwhelming feeling of love and peace that washed over him from Klaus’s selfless act, as well as for concern for his brother. What if conjuring Ben killed him? It took so much energy—energy he didn’t have to spare. 

Klaus opened his eyes, his lips spread into a tired smile. 

“I’m glad I could. My only regret is I couldn’t have given you.. more..time..” Klaus’s eyes fluttered and closed, his body went limp against Five’s chest. He was breathing heavily, short puffs of air coming in short, raspy gasps. 

His siblings looked at him with so many emotions behind their irises. They were looking at him in admiration, they were so proud of him. So happy he was able to do that for all of them. They only hoped he knew how thankful and appreciative they were of him. 

Fear and sadness also lurked behind their eyes. They only prayed this wouldn’t be a huge set back in Klaus’s health. 

“He’s exhausted, I’ll bring him to bed.” Luther scooped up Klaus’s unconscious body and brought him upstairs to his bedroom. He needed to rest. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how difficult that must have been on his brothers already weakened frame. 

Luther pulled back the blanket on Klaus’s bed and gently laid him down, propping him up against his pillows. He pulled his blanket up to his chest and tucked him in. 

“Thank you so much for that Klaus, we all know how hard that must have been for you. You didn’t have to do it.” Luther paused, wiping a stray tear from his cheek. 

He thought back on that encounter with Ben. The memory made his heart sing with so much joy. He was so very thankful for that. He was so glad he finally got the chance to hold Ben one last time and say his final farewell to their brother. 

“I’m so very grateful for you Klaus. I mean it, I hope you know just how much I love and appreciate you.” Luther’s shoulders shook with a sob. 

“I love you so much Klaus, I’m so scared, I—“ Luther straightened up and wiped at his tears. He didn’t want to wake Klaus up with his blubbering. 

“I don’t want to lose you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to read my story thus far! There’s only 6 chapters left!! Thank you to everyone who has commented, given kudos, subscribed, bookmarked, etc. I adore you guys, really I do! 
> 
> As always, if you’re reading—please leave a comment and let me know what you thought!! I love reading all of your wonderful comments!! I love them!! Lol
> 
> Next chapter will be up on Saturday! I hope to see you all then! :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, thank you guys so much for your beautiful comments last chapter! I can’t believe how many of you said you cried! As an author, that’s such a huge compliment! Knowing your writing was able to bring out such pure emotions like that! Thank you guys so much!!
> 
> I hope you’ll continue to read and enjoy this story!! Like always, if you do, PLEASE leave a comment and let me know how you’re feeling!! Your comments make my day!! Every time I get that notification my heart swells with joy! You guys are amazing!!
> 
> Please, enjoy! :)

A few days had passed by since Klaus conjured Ben for the final time. 

_Sadly, Klaus’s energy never seemed to fully return afterward_...

His pain levels seemed to spike and increase, and unfortunately, his nausea came back right along with it. 

Nearly a week later, Klaus struggled to keep _any_ food down at all anymore. Even his soup, which had been his one saving grace during his illness didn’t stand a chance against the nauseous feeling in the pit of Klaus’s stomach. 

Klaus was stubborn, though. Even though it physically pained him to eat, he still tried. He refused to give up.

_He couldn’t_...

His energy depleted again, leaving him once more constantly in a state of fatigue. His dizziness also returned, much to his dismay. 

_He did not miss feeling like this_...

He hated how he went from feeling so much better, to feeling _so much worse_ in such a short span of time. 

Ben kept apologizing. 

He couldn’t help but blame himself for Klaus’s sudden plummet in health. He wished Klaus would have saved his energy, and not ‘wasted it on him’, as he so put it. 

Klaus wouldn’t stand for that, though. He told Ben that he had no choice in the matter, it was HIS decision, and his alone. He would do it again in a heart beat. 

He had no regrets. 

He always knew this would happen again eventually, anyways. He was just thankful that it came _after_ accomplishing something so important for the people he loved. 

To Klaus, it was absolutely worth it.

Now, Klaus sat at the kitchen table, his mug of chicken noodle soup grasped firmly in his hands. He’d been trying for days to finish a meal without vomiting. 

_So far, he had failed_...

He blew on the contents of the soup a few times to cool the liquid down. Honestly, though—he’d been sitting there for quite some time already, and knew the soup probably was cool enough to eat. He eyed the soup, noting the small chunks of carrot and celery bobbing around within the mug. 

Klaus’s stomach clenched as a surge of pain overwhelmed him quickly. He curled in on himself, his left hand immediately shot to his stomach, his grip tightening against his shirts’s fabric as he let out a quick pained gasp.

“You okay?” Diego was beside him in an instant. He placed a nurturing hand on his back, gently rubbing soothing circles into his sickly brothers tensed muscles. 

The pain faded away, and Klaus let out the breath he didn’t know he had been holding. He nodded his head and glanced at Diego reassuringly.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” He took in a shaky breath and latched back onto the mug of soup again, pulling it closer to himself. He paused for a brief amount of time before finally taking a sip. 

He held the contents in his mouth for a moment, savoring the flavor. He always loved chicken noodle soup. Something about it was always so comforting to him, so nostalgic. 

Klaus swallowed the broth, the now luke-warm contents slid down his throat and landed in his swollen belly. He waited a moment before he repeated the process. 

Klaus finished about three sips of his soup before his stomach lurched painfully, bile immediately rising into his mouth, threatening to escape through his clenched teeth. 

He covered his lips with his hands and stood up as quickly as he could. He swayed dizzily and stumbled back, he didn’t know if he would make it to the garbage in time. 

Thankfully, Diego was there. 

He bolted for the waste basket and grabbed a hold of it, thrusting it to Klaus, who he gently helped ease back down into the chair so he wouldn’t collapse. He brought the garbage can to his brothers chest and held it for him as Klaus’s body expelled the contents from his stomach into the pail. 

He gagged and retched violently for some time. Klaus’s left arm was wrapped around his mid section, his right one supporting himself against the table. His limbs were shaking from exhaustion. 

Finally, the nausea seemed to pass, leaving Klaus heaving for oxygen, his complexion considerably paled. Diego set the garbage can aside, away from his brother. 

Klaus clenched his eyes shut as another surge of pain overwhelmed him, causing him to wince. 

Klaus’s head was pounding. He was so dizzy.. he hated this all so much..

Suddenly, Klaus’s energy seemed to simply vanish. He felt his arm against the table go limp, as his body swayed, and before he knew what was happening, he felt his entire body go slack.

He started to collapse...

“Klaus!” He heard Diego call his name and barely registered him grabbing ahold of him. 

“Woah, easy, I got you!” Diego caught him before he got the chance to hit the ground, thank goodness. 

He wrapped his arms around his brother and lifted him up bridal style with ease. 

Sadly, Klaus’s weight had plummeted again within the last weeks time. He quickly took back on his frail appearance from before. 

“What happened, are you alright?” Klaus couldn’t respond. He had no words, he was so out of breath, and both mentally and physically exhausted. 

Diego rushed his ill brother upstairs to his bedroom. He knew he needed to rest. He laid him down gently on his bed, propping him against his pillows as he tucked him in. Klaus was already barely holding onto consciousness. 

“Sorry Di..” Klaus whispered tiredly. 

Diego sat on the bed next to Klaus and grabbed onto his brothers hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze before rubbing circles into it delicately with his thumb.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay, nothing to be sorry about. Just rest, okay, Klaus?” He spoke with a soft caring tone. Klaus closed his eyes and nodded a response before almost immediately falling asleep. 

Diego stayed there for a little while with his brother, just absorbing any precious ounce of time he could spend with Klaus. He continued to rub comforting circles into the back of his hand. 

Diego just stared at Klaus, taking in every single bit of his features. He studied him, recording every detail about him to his memory. He never wanted to forget his brothers beautiful face...

Diego felt such despair looking at Klaus. He looked so frail and sickly again, already. 

A week ago he was looking so much better, he was _feeling_ so much better. He was acting like himself again, and it was the happiest Diego, or any of their siblings, had felt in a such long time. 

Now, he was fading again. 

_And fast_...

It physically _hurt_ Diego to see his brother like this. In so much pain, so weak, so _sick_. Diego wiped at his eyes as tears started to freely cascade down his cheeks. 

He gave Klaus’s hand another squeeze before gently laying it back down against his side, pulling his own hand away. Diego leaned closer to his brother, smoothing his curls out of his eyes. He bent over him and planted a soft kiss against his temple.

“I love you, Klaus.” 

Diego stood and made his way towards Klaus’s bedroom door. He lingered there for another moment, just watching the rise and fall of Klaus’s chest. 

Finally, he turned and left, softly closing the door behind him.

—-

Klaus was abruptly pulled from his sleep by a funny feeling in his chest. He opened his eyes frantically. It was dark outside, what time was it? He glanced to his nightstand at his alarm clock. 

3:04AM

Klaus didn’t know how to describe it, but he felt odd. His heart was all fluttery, and he noted his breathing was somehow weaker—like it took so much energy for him just to take a breath. 

He realized he had to subconsciously _remember_ to take a breath, like his lungs had forgotten how. 

He felt as though he was in a tunnel—his hearing seemed muted, and his vision was blurred. 

He didn’t know exactly what, but he could tell that something was seriously _wrong_ with him. 

He went to speak but no words came out. Just a shaky weak exhale of air.

“Klaus, get up, something’s wrong!” Ben was beside him. He must have sensed Klaus’s misfortune.

“Klaus, you need to get help!” 

Klaus felt so strange. This was a new feeling, he’d never experienced anything like this before. He couldn’t help but feel rather panicked. 

Was this it? Was he.. was he _dying_, right now? He felt like he was, and that _frightened_ him.

He forced himself to take a breath. It was so difficult for him to, his chest burned from the effort.

“He..lp..” He could barely get the phrase ‘help’ out of his mouth. 

“Please Klaus, I cant help you, you need to get up and wake the others!” Ben was pleading with him. He knew something was seriously wrong with his brother. He knew it would be difficult for him to seek out help in his current condition, but Ben couldn’t do it for him. He would have to do it himself.

“Please, Klaus! I’m so sorry! I don’t know what to do! Just, please try to get up!” Klaus struggled to pull shallow breaths into his lungs. He just felt so _wrong_, but he knew Ben was right. 

He _needed_ to get someone, _anyone_...

He rolled himself to his side and groaned at the immediate pain it sent through his body. He couldn’t focus on that right now, though. 

_He needed to find help_...

He desperately pulled himself into a seated position, his unsteady arms reached for his nightstand. He wrapped his fingers around the corner of it, and used it to hoist himself upright. 

The room spun dizzyingly around him, and his heart felt like it plummeted down into his stomach. His body nearly crumpled right there. He held it together, though. He had no choice in the matter. 

_He desperately needed help_...

Klaus dizzily made his way towards his bedroom entrance. He grasped the handle of his door, fumbling with it a few times, before his fingers finally cooperated with him enough. He threw the door open, stumbling out into the hall. 

His lungs felt like they were on fire, every forced breath he took just seemed to make him feel more and more lightheaded. He tried to call out for help, _beg_ for anyone to hear his pleas, but he just couldn’t muster the words.

His vision was blurred so badly he couldn’t make out which direction he was going. He couldn’t see where his siblings bedroom doors were.

“Pl...ease....some...one...he..lp..me..” He continued to stumble his way dizzily down the hall. He reached out with his shaking hands, trying to feel for a door. His ears were ringing so loud, he could barely hear anything.

“Klaus! Klaus, stop!” Ben tried desperately to get Klaus’s attention to no avail, Klaus couldn’t hear him. 

“He..lp..me..plea..se..” In his almost delirious state, Klaus hadn’t realized that he’d walked too far. He was already at the mouth of the staircase. He took another step forward, his foot was met by nothing but air causing him to lose his balance. 

_And he fell_...

Klaus tumbled roughly down the staircase. Immediately, excruciating pain emanated through his entire body. 

The loud crashing sound of Klaus falling down the stairs awoke his siblings. Frenzied, they all piled out into the hall.

“What the hell was that?” Vanya asked alarmed, looking around at her panicked siblings. A loud pained groaning sound caught their attention from down stairs, and their hearts dropped at the sudden realization.

“Shit, Klaus!” Diego, Luther Vanya and Allison all bolted for the stairs. Five spacial jumped himself to Klaus immediately.

Klaus was sprawled at the foot of the stairs. His back planted firmly against the ground floor, his legs twisted to the side and sprawled across the last few steps. One hand was clutching his abdomen, his other clung above his chest, Dave’s dog tags were intertwined between his shaky fingers.

“Klaus, what happened?” Five knelt beside his brother, he could tell something was seriously wrong with him straight away. 

His eyes were barely open and he noted how he struggled desperately for air, more-so than he typically would. His siblings were at the foot of the stairs now. Allison gasped when she saw Klaus. Diego rushes to his side, he knelt down beside his brother and laid his hand under his neck.

“Klaus, are you okay?” Klaus could vaguely hear his brothers desperate question. He was so out of it though, he couldn’t respond. Tears were leaking over his hollowed cheeks, mixing with his sweat, leaving salty trails of despair down his face. Diego stared at his brothers pained expression.

_Something was seriously wrong_...

He took his free hand and laid it on Klaus’s cheek, then moved it to his forehead.

“He’s burning up, we need to get him to the hospital!” 

Diego scooped his brother up bridal style for the second time that day and rushed him towards the front door. All of the siblings ran alongside him. 

Luther grabbed the keys to the old Rolls Royce, and they piled into the car. Diego sat in the front seat and just held onto Klaus. He couldn’t bring himself to let him go. 

He was just so worried, he didn’t know what was wrong. 

_He didn’t know if this was it_...

He cradled Klaus’s frail body to his chest, gently hugging him. He rested his cheek on Klaus’s tousled curls. He whispered soothingly to his brother, who was still conscious, but completely unaware of what was happening around him. Klaus whimpered from the pain. 

_He was in so much pain_...

Luther stepped on the gas peddle. They needed to get Klaus help, _now_. They made it to the hospital in record time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sadly, Klaus is not doing well guys.. sorry to put a damper on the ounce of joy that came from last chapter. I hope you’ll all still continue to read and follow his journey through to the end.
> 
> As always, thank you everyone who has read, commented, bookmarked, subscribed, given kudos, etc. you guys make all of this worth it!!
> 
> Also—if anyone is interested in knowing, I have started writing a second story! I won’t post it until it is complete (that’s just how I roll, sorry lol) BUT I can assure you it’s going to be a good one! It will be a Klaus and Dave centric fic based on a specific outing for him and Dave and takes place in ‘Nam. It will be another multi chapter (although probably not quite as long as this one) it will be a much happier story overall though, and much less sad than this one. But, knowing me, there WILL still be some whump and sadness in that one as well. Just not quite like this, I promise. I can’t do this to Klaus again, I love him too much lol I gotta give him SOME happiness, am I right? Lol
> 
> Thank you all so so so much! If you enjoy, let me know in the comments! If you have any questions or concerns or even like..a request for a story or anything? Let me know! I’m super enjoying writing for you all!! 
> 
> Thank you all again!! :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter guys! This story is nearing its end! Only 4 chapters left after this one!! I hope you all will continue to follow this story through to the end. Please, enjoy!!

The hospitals waiting room was eerily quiet. No one could bring themselves to speak, or cry, or anxiously pace the floors. 

Nothing. 

They were all numb from what just transpired with Klaus. 

_They were just all so scared_...

The umbrella academy kids, sans Klaus, all sat beside one another in total deafening silence. The only sound to be heard was the rhythmic ticking from the old analog clock that hung above the emergency room entrance where they’d last seen their ill brother.

They’d gotten there in record time, running Klaus in as fast as they could. The nurses took him through those emergency doors immediately. His siblings hadn’t seen him or heard anything about him since. Their minds instantly feared the worst. 

They knew Klaus’s health had quickly started to deteriorate again after he summoned Ben for their final farewell, but this was a whole new low. 

_It was terrifying to see their brother like that_... 

They’d had three beautiful weeks where Klaus was almost as he was before—Before the apocalypse, before the cancer. They were so happy and caught up in that joy that they’d nearly forgotten he was so sick to begin with in the first place.

They knew this would happen, the decline in his health again. But they’d hoped it wouldn’t be this soon, and so _rapidly_. 

Luther peered around the room to each of his siblings. He could see their fear, and their pain, as it was evident across each of their features. He knew what was on all of their minds, as it was on his mind as well. 

Was this it? 

Was Klaus’s time already up?

Would they be leaving here without their beloved brother? 

Luther bowed his head and closed his eyes. He took in a deep shaky breath before extending his arms to either side of himself. He laced his fingers of his left hand into Diego’s, and his hand to the right with Allison’s. 

Allison glanced down at Luther’s hand in her own. A tear slid down her cheek as she returned the gesture with her free hand, lacing her fingers into Vanya’s. 

Diego stiffened and glanced at Luther. He squeezed his hand tight and reached his free hand to his left, intertwining his fingers with Fives. Five peered to his right, noticing how each of his siblings were holding each others hands. He stood up, keeping his grasp firm on Diego’s fingers, inviting him to follow his lead. Five walked over to Vanya, latching onto her free hand. 

The siblings stood there, hands held together tightly. They needed to ground themselves, they needed this circle of support. They all bowed their heads, arms trembling with sadness and fear..

_And they prayed_...

They prayed for their brothers wellbeing, they prayed that he would pull out of this, and they prayed that he would be okay.

_Just, please, let him be okay_...

—-

It was around 8:30AM when the doors finally opened, revealing Klaus’s oncologist, Dr.Thomas. He entered the waiting room, and Klaus’s siblings immediately walked towards him before he even got the chance to call for them.

“Hello again everyone, please, follow me.” 

Dr. Thomas lead them down the hall to the same familiar quaint waiting room as before. 

“I’m glad you all were able to bring Klaus here as fast as you did, he was running a fever of 106. We were able to bring it down. He’s stable for now, but very weak.” Diego wiped a tear from his face just as it fell. 

“We also treated Klaus for the injuries he sustained from his fall. He fractured two of his ribs, and bruised his pelvis. Frankly though, he’s incredibly lucky his injuries weren’t much more severe. You’ll notice he is very bruised. Don’t be alarmed, that’s normal for a person who has cancer. Bruising just occurs easier for them, sadly.” The siblings nodded in understanding.

“What’s wrong with him, though? H-he’s been having difficulty eating again. He was doing s-so well and then he took a turn for the w-w-worst.” The doctor nodded solemnly at Diego’s query. 

He was up to date on Klaus’s health. Grace took detailed notes and provided them to the doctor with Klaus’s bloodwork each week. He knew he’d been doing well. Eating even, and having higher energy levels. 

He also knew when it seemed to abruptly take a turn. 

“Well, Klaus seemed to be having a lot of difficulty breathing when he arrived. Upon examination, his heart beat was irregular, almost like it was sputtering. We ran a few tests, repeated some labs,” The doctor flipped through the pages on Klaus’s clipboard he held in his hands. He flipped back and forth between two pages before looking back to the siblings and continuing.

“Klaus’s bloodwork showed slightly elevated levels when we checked it today compared to his last round collected. I’m so very sorry, but,” Dr. Thomas let out a deep sigh, laying the clipboard against his side.

“It appears Klaus’s cancer has once again spread. His newest PET scan shows cancer activity on his heart and lungs now, as well. I’m so very sorry. He’s.. living on borrowed time.”

Diego’s knees instantly buckled from beneath him. Five and Vanya grabbed ahold of him before he could crumble to the ground, slinging his shoulders over their necks. They brought him to one of the nearest chairs in the small lobby and sat him down. They sat to either side of him, sobs shaking them all right down to their cores. 

Allison slid herself down against the wall. She curled her knees to her chest as a strangled sob escaped her lips.

“Spread? Borrowed time?” Luther couldn’t believe it. Couldn’t Klaus just catch one fucking break? He had been doing so well! And now...now _this_?

The doctor apologized profusely, he knew how difficult this must be for them. He knew all too well. 

The reason Dr. Thomas went into oncology and decided to specialize in pancreatic cancer, was because his father lost his life to the disease when he was not much older than Klaus is now. He couldn’t help but feel for this family. Their situation reminded him of his own. He couldn’t dwell on that though. He had to remain professional and ensure he provided the care his patient and his family needed.

“He is awake if you would like to see him.” The siblings all nodded and followed the doctor into Klaus’s room. 

Klaus was awake, but he looked absolutely terrible. He had a mask on his bruised face, forcing oxygen into his lungs. He was drenched in sweat. His skin was deathly pale, aside from the legions of bruises marring his entire body, and he just looked so _tired_. His mask didn’t hide the fact that his facial expression was twisted with pain. 

Klaus glanced towards his siblings and a sob shook his small frame. He already had tear stains down his cheeks. 

His siblings rushed to his side, they all grasped at him in whatever way they could. He needed them so desperately right now. He yearned for their touch. Diego laid his hand over Klaus’s head, and gently turned his face towards his own. Klaus’s eyes were filled with so much fear and despair. The sight of his brothers emotions so evident on his face broke Diego’s heart. 

Another tear rolled down Klaus’s cheek as he clenched his eyes shut. Klaus couldn’t even bare to look at his siblings. He was just so overwhelmed with grief. Diego pressed his forehead against Klaus’s to silently comfort his poor sickly brother the best he possibly could. They stayed like that until their sobs began to slow.

A surge of pain caused Klaus to cry out, pulling his hands away from Allison and Fives grasp to clutch at his swollen belly. They moved their hands to his shoulders to try desperately to soothe him. Vanya and Luther rubbed Klaus’s calf muscles to try to comfort him the best they could. The pain was so great though. He cried out again, more tears spilling down his hollowed cheeks.

Ben couldn’t take it. He was devastated for his brother. 

_Klaus was fading_..

If Ben were alive, the pain from seeing his brother like this would kill him all over again. 

He couldn’t stand it!

“His pain is getting worse. The tumble down the stairs certainly didn’t help. However, I’m sorry to say, it’s just going to continue to worsen from here. This cancer is very unforgiving. I know Klaus doesn’t want it, but, I strongly recommend you all try to convince him to accept something for the pain.” 

Klaus vehemently shook his head no. He would rather endure the pain than go back on drugs. He worked so hard for his sobriety, so damn hard! He refused to give it up just for a little pain. 

He could handle it. 

He just kept telling himself this was nothing. He’s felt worse pains before, right?

_Right_?

—-

The hospital kept Klaus overnight to continue to monitor him. They all tried to convince him to accept something, _anything_ for the pain he was in, but he continued to refuse. The doctor could tell how much it upset Klaus to even consider potentially breaking his sobriety, but he assured him this would be different. 

Klaus still refused. 

The doctor decided to stop trying to force him to accept the help, though. He didn’t want to add any extra stress on Klaus. He just let him know that _if_ he ever decided he needed the medication, they’ll make sure it is available to him right away. Klaus nodded in acknowledgment.

The doctor really wanted to keep Klaus a little while longer to continue monitoring him, but Klaus couldn’t stay there any longer. 

He just wanted to go home...

And so, the doctor allowed the siblings to bring their brother home. 

—-

It was August 8th when Klaus was able to return home from the hospital after learning the news that his cancer had spread once again. Luther was sure to mark it on his calendar. 

Luther had been writing down everything on his calendar that was happening with Klaus. It was ingrained in his brain to document events as they occurred ever since his time spent during his mission on the moon. He was sure to note important updates, and track his health with his calendar. 

He in some ways was glad he did this, it helped him see exactly what was happening to his brother, and in what time frame. 

But he also hated it and feared it. 

It scared him because he, without realizing it, was keeping track of Klaus’s timeline with his calendar. 

Luther pulled the calendar from his bedroom wall, flipping through the pages he’d written on starting back when Five returned after so long.

He glanced over the pages, looking back at the dates:

**MARCH 24th**\- _Dad’s funeral. Five came home_.

**APRIL 1st**\- _The Apocalypse. (Which had a red strike through it, to signify it didn’t happen. Biggest April fools ever.)_

**JUNE 18 **\- _Family movie night. Which also was the day they realized Klaus was sick and took him to the infirmary. The day they discovered the fluid in his abdomen_..

**JUNE 19 **\- _Klaus diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer_.

**JUNE 23 **\- _Klaus home from Hospital_.

**JULY 7 **\- _Klaus able to eat without nausea._

**JULY 27 **\- _Klaus getting better each day. Still no nausea!_

**JULY 28 **\- _Klaus Conjured Ben for us to get to say goodbye. (Thank you, brother.)_

**JULY 31 **\- _Health worsened again. Total loss of appetite, and nauseated feeling returned. _

**AUGUST 7 **\- _Klaus fell down stairs, brought back to hospital. Cancer spread to heart and lungs._

**AUGUST 8 **\- _Klaus returned home from hospital._

Luther hastily wiped at his tears as they cascaded down his cheeks. He put his calendar back on his wall where he got it from. 

Over a month had already passed since Klaus’s diagnoses. 

Seven weeks..

Fifty-one days, to be exact. 

Fifty-one days flew by so quickly he barely remembered them happening. Luther tried not to dwell on what was happening to his brother, but he couldn’t help himself. When Klaus was first diagnosed, they told him he had anywhere from six weeks to six months to live. 

_Seven weeks had already passed_...

He was happy Klaus had made it past the lowest point in his timeline so far, that was promising, right? But it shattered his heart more to realize how quickly that time flew by. 

How little time they really have left with Klaus becoming more and more evident...

Luther couldn’t bare the thought of losing Klaus. His brother who was always so fun loving, so carefree. His brother who could bring a smile to anyone’s face with his goofy grin, or his contagious laughter. His brother who’s entire being just emanated so much love and joy no matter how shitty his own situation would be. 

Klaus was always the first person to go out of his way to comfort you when you were hurt, or sad. And always the last to ask for, or expect anything in return. That’s just who he was. 

_Who he is_...

Luther sat on his bed, burying his face into the palms of his hands, and he cried. 

He cried and mourned for his brother. Klaus was the last person in this entire world who deserved such a terrible ending to his beautifully vivacious life. 

Luther just prayed that Klaus could live the rest of his days with no pain. He prayed that whenever his time _does_ come.. he hopes he can go peacefully, surrounded by the people who love him most. 

And he prayed that Klaus would be blissfully aware of just how important he is to each of them, and know just how much he is _loved_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who has supported this story thus far. I appreciate every single comment, kudo, bookmark, subscription, etc. you guys are wonderful! As always, if you enjoy, PLEASE let me know in the comments! I adore reading all of your beautifully kind words!!
> 
> Also, side note, I know they pray a lot in this chapter. I’m not saying they’re religious. I just know that people in desperate situations will often times pray, even if they may not even believe in the God they’re praying to. I’m not trying to force religion on anyone here. But, I figured, whether you believe in God or not, prayer can still at times bring you some form of comfort.
> 
> Thank you guys again SO much! Next chapter will be posted this Saturday! I hope to see you all then!! :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only 3 chapters left in this story guys!! I can’t believe how quickly this time has flown by! I just wanted to take a moment and honest to goodness say thank you all so much! Those of you who have continued to support this story, enjoyed reading it, I appreciate you all so very much! Every single one of your comments brings a warm smile to my face! You guys have my heart and soul! Thank you!!
> 
> I will warn you guys that since this story is nearing it’s end (and inevitably, so is Klaus’s life) this story is honestly just going to be mostly sad from now on. There will be some tender sweet moments still, but as it continues to near the end I just figured I ought to warn you guys in case you needed to be advised. 
> 
> As always though, I do hope you’ll continue to read and enjoy! If you do, please leave a comment and let me know!! 
> 
> Please, enjoy!

**AUGUST 12th** \- 

Four days had passed since Klaus returned home from the hospital. His family never left his side anymore. They would cycle through, each spending time with Klaus to ensure he was never alone. They needed to make sure he always had someone there, in case anything happened and he needed them. 

They couldn’t stand the thought of anything happening again, like it did when he was so sick and fell down the stairs. 

They wouldn’t allow it.

Klaus was happy with this change, though. It gave him ample opportunity to have alone time with each of his siblings. This was his special bonding time he wanted so badly from the beginning. 

His energy seemed to fade more and more each day, but he fought to be completely present and aware when his siblings were around. 

Vanya usually would be the sibling to visit Klaus when it was time for him to lay down and rest for the night. She’d come early enough, so they could talk for quite some time. Then, when the exhaustion would pull at him, and his eyelids would become heavy and begin to flutter, Vanya would pull out her violin and play a lullaby until he would fall asleep. 

Klaus enjoyed this special time he got with each of his siblings. 

Allison would paint his nails, or do his makeup. She would often times just brush or play with his hair. If her voice was ever strong enough, she would hum a song to him. 

Klaus _wished_ he would get the chance to hear her voice again. He always loved his sisters voice, it always had such a kind, soothing tone to him. He loved when she would sing to him when they were younger. 

You are my sunshine was always his favorite song, when sung by Allison...

Five would usually just sit with Klaus and talk to him about his time with the commission, or his years alone in the apocalypse. 

Klaus would talk to Five about his time in Vietnam. He would explain in crude detail the bloodshed he had seen, and the fear he had felt, especially when he was first thrust into it. 

However, then he would reminisce on the _fond_ memories he had from that time, his memories of Dave. 

Anytime Klaus thought of Dave he couldn’t help but smile. He wished so desperately he had Dave right now. To be able to hold him, and be comforted by him. He missed him so terribly. 

Klaus guessed that was the one truly good thing coming from his demise. 

He would _finally_ be reunited with Dave.

“Heh, look at us. A couple of old codgers. Talking about our days back in ‘Nam and, well, you know.” Five and Klaus would smile fondly at each other, simply basking in the other’s presence. 

Those two weren’t so different from one another after all.

Luther often times would just come and talk to Klaus, or watch him while he would nap. Luther always was the one to bring Klaus his meals, and therefore, was always the one who would rub his back and comfort him when the nausea would inevitably take over, and cause him to vomit. 

Luther hated that he never felt like he quite knew just what to say. He _always_ had been oddly awkward, especially after the incident that changed his DNA into that of an ape. 

But Klaus would always smile and initiate a conversation, or crack a joke. 

Luther didn’t know how he did it. 

Even being so _sick_, Klaus always knew just what to do to make sure no one _ever_ felt uncomfortable. 

Luther was sure that if there was one thing he did right with his brother, it was making sure Klaus knew just how much he meant to him. 

Klaus made sure that Luther knew the same.

Diego would always just lay with Klaus during his visits. He knew that Klaus was always a clingy person, especially with Diego. Being sick always just amplified his clingy-ness. 

Out of each of his siblings, Diego _always_ felt a special bond with Klaus. 

He unfailingly felt a stronger connection to him. He was always protective of him, even after they all left the academy and lost touch. Diego consistently took initiative to try to keep tabs on his brother, make sure he wasn’t getting himself into too much trouble. 

Someone had to make sure he was alright. 

Klaus would cuddle into Diego’s embrace, relishing the warmth of his body pressed against his own. Diego was always so strong, and so brave. Now, against his brothers physique, Klaus could tell just how frail his own body had actually become. 

His weight continued to drop as the weeks passed him by. His arms were rail thin, what little bit of lean muscle he had was nearly gone. His legs were leaner as well, his knees had become knobby. 

He reminded himself of those National Geographic magazines, of those children who were so emaciated, save for their protruding belly’s. 

Klaus used to consider himself to be rather good looking. Now, he couldn’t even bare to look at himself in a mirror. 

His face was so hollow, and his eyes so sunken in. He couldn’t stand to see the person who looked back at him in his reflection. 

It just made his situation all the more real.

—-

**AUGUST 16th** \- 

Klaus’s health was on a downward spiral. He struggled to breathe anymore without the constant assistance of an oxygen tank. A nasal cannula always adorned his features, forcing oxygen into his weak and failing lungs. He seemed to decline more and more with each passing day. His pain never seemed to cease, now. 

He constantly was writhing or groaning out in discomfort, clutching at his swollen belly. 

Every minute of every day and night he was in so much pain. He couldn’t find any ounce of comfort, he even struggled to sleep. 

His abdomen hurt him so badly. Grace finally convinced Klaus to allow her to drain his ascites again. That did relieve his pain for a few hours, allowing him to rest comfortably for the first time in a couple of days. 

Sadly, the pressure and pain came back within three hours, stronger and more painful than any other time before. 

His siblings couldn’t bare to see him this way. They called the hospital and asked if there was anything that could be done to relieve him from his constant agony. They recommended pain medication, but Klaus still refused. They pleaded for _anything_ else to curb this horrible pain for their brother. 

Finally, the doctors suggested they try implanting a port in Klaus’s abdomen—a permanent drain. 

It would be it’s own flavor of discomfort for their brother, but would at least diminish the horrible, bursting feeling that constantly plagued Klaus’s weak frame. 

They opted to do the ‘minor surgery’, as the doctor described it.

—-

**AUGUST 18th** -

The port was itchy and uncomfortable, not to mention embarrassing in its own right, but Klaus was thankful for it. He still was constantly in pain and uncomfortable, but the port helped a lot. 

At least the distended bloated feeling was gone. 

Now if only the shooting pains and cramps he constantly felt would go away as well. 

—-

**AUGUST 23rd** -

Klaus’s nausea had become much more persistent within the last couple of days. He already had been struggling to keep his food down. Now though, he couldn’t even drink his water without vomiting it right up. 

_This scared Klaus_..

If he can’t eat or drink.. what else is there for him to do? Klaus knew that without food or water you die. 

Period. 

Klaus would force himself to drink his water, he would try so hard to hold it in and not allow the urge to vomit overtake him. But time and time again, the cancer would win. 

Klaus retched anytime he tried to drink. 

Klaus now constantly had to have an IV to provide his body with the fluids and nutrients he so desperately needed to survive. 

He couldn’t help but feel ashamed in himself. 

He knew he was letting himself down, letting his family down. He felt like an invalid, incapable of doing anything for himself. 

What else could possibly go wrong?

—-

**AUGUST 30th** -

Klaus couldn’t help but to cry. He was just so damn tired, so sickly. He was constantly in pain. 

He had never felt more exhausted in his entire life, or more _weak_.

He had never felt more fucking frustrated in himself, or more _angry_. 

He woke up not too long ago and tried to get up to use the rest room. He grabbed his blankets off of his body and went to stand, but he just couldn’t muster the strength to get up. 

He couldn’t even gather enough strength to _sit up_, let alone stand or walk. His arms shook and ultimately failed to hoist him. 

Why was he so weak? 

Why couldn’t he just get up like he always did? 

Did his strength really diminish _this much_ since just yesterday?

Luther was beside him and watched as he tried to sit up. He saw how his arms struggled to support the small amount of his weight. 

How he physically could not get himself upright. 

He watched as the realization hit Klaus over the head that this may just be how he is from now on. 

Unable to physically support himself, having to depend on others more-so than he already did. 

Luther watched his brothers heart shatter from defeat. 

“It’s okay, Klaus, just let me help you—“

“This is _not_ okay, Luther!” Klaus wailed. He hated this so much, he hated what he was becoming. He missed his independence, he missed his strength. 

He missed being healthy... 

“_I’m not okay_!” 

Luther pulled Klaus’s small frail body into his arms, cradling him against his chest. He allowed Klaus to weep. 

He couldn’t imagine how frightening this must be for his brother. It was terrifying enough to him and it wasn’t physically happening to him. He couldn’t imagine just how scared Klaus must feel right now. His strength is already all but gone. He can’t eat, or drink...

Luther couldn’t think about that, though. He had to stay strong for Klaus. He needed someone to stay strong for him, keep him grounded. Try to keep his spirits up. He couldn’t let Klaus give up on life. 

He needed to keep fighting.

_He needed to keep living_...

If Klaus couldn’t stand anymore, then Luther would be his legs. 

If he couldn’t use his arms anymore, Luther would be his hands. 

Luther would help and support Klaus in whatever way necessary. He wouldn’t let him feel weak, or scared, or small. Luther would take care of him through everything. 

He would support him, until the very end.

—-

**SEPTEMBER 12th** -

His pain was just so unbearable. Klaus couldn’t remember what it was like to _not_ feel pain anymore. Every morning he would wake up, his stomach screaming in agony. Every night he would struggle to fall asleep, the pain just too strong. 

He’d had beatings in his life that were much more pleasant than what he constantly felt now. 

This was the only time he was ever grateful that he was always so tired. He knew he could always depend on the eventual pull of exhaustion taking over, causing him to inevitably pass out into oblivion. 

Klaus often times would just be flat out crying, writhing from his constant pain that assaulted his weary body every waking moment of every god forsaken day. 

He would scream in agony, leaving his voice hoarse. It didn’t help that he couldn’t drink anything to soothe the discomfort in his now raw throat, either.

Diego rubbed Klaus’s shoulders with his left hand, cradling his body against his chest. He soothingly brushed the fingers of his right hand through Klaus’s hair, gently massaging his scalp. 

He tried anything to soothe his brother, take his mind away from his pain. 

But nothing would work. 

“Klaus, I know you don’t want to hear it, but I really think you should consider accepting the pain medication.”

“No, I don’t need it.” Klaus yelped as a strong surge of pain tore through him.

“Look at you, man. It’s killing me to see you like this. You deserve so much better than this! You deserve to be pain free. Please, Klaus, Please.” Diego begged Klaus, he couldn’t bare to see him like this any longer. He just wanted what he knew deep down in his heart was best for his beloved ‘baby’ brother.

“I fought so hard to get sober and stay clean. I’ll be failing myself if I allow myself to have the meds, Diego.” He was crying. He was so over this pain, but he couldn’t allow himself to use again.

“Klaus, you wouldn’t be failing yourself, or anyone. This is different. Things are different now. You shouldn’t deny yourself the relief from the pain. You’re punishing yourself for mistakes you’ve made in the past. Please, Klaus. It will help you. You deserve to be comfortable. Please take the meds, I’m begging you. P-Please accept the help!” Diego pleaded, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Klaus’s body quaked with sobs. He hated how sad Diego was. He hated how badly he wanted Klaus to take the medication. 

He hated how badly _he _wanted to take the medication!

“You’re..you’re sure you wouldn’t look at me differently? That the others wouldn’t?” Diego’s lips quivered at the question. 

Klaus really didn’t want to take the medication and stop his pain because he worried that his family would look at him differently, consider him a failure? 

That broke Diego’s heart.

“Absolutely not, Klaus. Not even a little bit. All we want is for you to be comfortable and happy. That’s all that matters to us—_you’re_ all that matters to us!”

Klaus covered his mouth with his _HELLO_ hand, his shoulders shook as he wailed. It was a relief to hear Diego say that to him. It just didn’t make this decision any less difficult. 

He still couldn’t help but feel like, in some way, he was failing himself and his family.

He wiped at his eyes to try to dry his tears. Klaus gasped for a breath of air and let out a soft groan as another wave of pain washed over him.

“Okay,” He began shakily through another surge of pain. He wrapped his hand around Diego’s that was still over his shoulder. Klaus tilted his head back and looked into his brothers pleading eyes.

“I’ll take the pain medication.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, I hope you all enjoyed this! It was a tough one to write. The rest of the chapters will be broken down in a similar fashion as this one. Portraying important dates in Klaus’s timeline. I hope you all enjoyed this. 
> 
> Random fact- when I wrote this story I didn’t have a title for it. I had no idea what to name it. It wasn’t until I wrote this chapter that I decided to name it “I’m not okay” after Klaus’s line to Luther. It was fitting for this story (and also I loved that it was a My Chemical Romance song as well) 
> 
> As always, thank you everyone who has commented, subscribed, bookmarked, given kudos, etc. you guys are fantastic!! 
> 
> I am happy to announce that I am currently working on 2 stories. 1 is a Klave fic centered around a special mission that Dave and Klaus go on in Vietnam. It will be a multi chapter story (just probably not a very long one) the other story I’m working on is a surprise though. I’ll tell you all about that one at a later time! So keep your eyes peeled and subscribe to me if any of that sounds of interest to you! :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story has 2 chapters left guys! I’m so sad it’s almost over, but I truly hope you’ve all enjoyed this story thus far! Next chapter will be up on Saturday, and then the final one will be out next Wednesday (one week from today!!)
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! As always, if you do, please let me know in the comments!! I love hearing what you all have to say!! Thank you! Please, enjoy!

**SEPTEMBER 26th** -

Klaus was doing considerably better after finally accepting to take the pain medication. He still, in some ways, couldn’t help but feel ashamed in himself for taking it. However, his family continued to assure him that this was different. 

As Klaus immediately found out, it certainly _was_ different. 

He wasn’t taking quite as much as he had in the past, so his mind wasn’t cluttered or distracted like it had been back then, which he was thankful for. 

That was one of the main reasons Klaus hadn’t wanted to accept the medication. He wanted to be aware of what was happening around him. 

He wanted to be aware of _who_ was around him, and be able to converse with and enjoy his family _while he still could_. 

He didn’t want to be numb to the world like he was back when he would abuse drugs. 

Klaus was happy that the medication didn’t numb him like it used to.

The only thing that was unfortunate for Klaus, was that while the pain medication did indeed help him, he had built up quite a tolerance to it after so many years of abuse. 

He wasn’t completely pain free, sadly. He still felt a dull constant ache and would get the occasional shooting pain, but the medication did take the majority of the edge off. 

He was thankful for this, though. It was considerably better than the agony he had been going through for weeks beforehand.

Klaus also was happy that the medication seemed to ease his _siblings_ pain. 

They didn’t need to worry about him being quite so uncomfortable now. He could feel the instant relief it brought _them_. He was extremely grateful for that. 

He could handle his own pain, but seeing his family suffering over him? 

He couldn’t bare it.

His siblings still never left his side. Right now, Allison was sitting behind him, her legs straddling either side of his body. He was laying against her chest while she ran her fingers through his hair, humming a song to him. Klaus’s eyes were closed relishing in the way this made him feel. 

His hair being played with was always a weakness to him. He always loved the way it felt and how it’d blanket his arms in goosebumps. It was always so comforting to him. 

“I wish I could hear you sing again, Ally. I miss the way you used to sing to me when we were little. I always loved your voice.” He laid his hand lovingly on her knee. Allison had to hold back her tears. 

She wished she could sing to him. She wished she could even just _speak_ to him, tell him how much she loves him, how lucky she is to have him as her brother. 

Her special, one of a kind, quirky and perfect ‘little’ brother. 

It crushed her when he said that, she knew what he meant...

He didn’t think he would make it long enough to hear her voice again. 

_That broke her heart_...

“You will, Klaus.” She whispered. 

“Promise?” He closed his eyes as a tear slid down his cheek. 

He didn’t know how much time he had left, it was unfair to ask Allison to make a promise she wouldn’t be able to keep. 

“I promise.”

—-

**SEPTEMBER 28th** -

Klaus was going stir crazy. He loved his family, and he didn’t have much energy, but he needed to get out of the house, at least for a little while. 

He looked to his right and saw that Five was sitting on his bedroom floor reading a book.

“Hey Five, what day is it?” Klaus asked softly. 

Five startled a little when Klaus spoke, he thought he had been asleep.

“It’s Saturday.” Klaus shook his head.

“No, no, what _date_ is it?” Five turned around to face his brother.

“It’s September 28th, why?”

Klaus closed his eyes to ponder that. 

It’s already the end of September? Klaus hadn’t been outside is nearly two months, he desperately needed some fresh air. 

“It’s fall?” Klaus asked wearily. Five nodded in response.

“Have the leaves began to change yet?”

Five stood up and peered out of Klaus’s bedroom window. 

The leaves had _indeed_ started to change, the courtyard had fall foliage littered all across the landscape, soft gusts of wind sending the red and golden toned leaves tumbling across the yard.

“Yes, Klaus. The leaves are changing, and the weather is.. well, it’s beautiful.” 

Klaus smiled tiredly. Fall was always his favorite time of year. He loved seeing the leaves change, the cooler weather. Their birthdays were in the fall, and Halloween!

Halloween was always Klaus’s favorite holiday..

“Five, can we go outside today? Please?” 

Five didn’t know what to say. He didn’t think it would be wise for Klaus to go outside, he’s so weak and sickly. The cooler weather may not be a good idea for him. 

“I don’t know, Klaus..” He stated unsurely. He ran his fingers through his hair and seemed to be considering his brothers request. Klaus just looked at him with longing eyes. Five could tell how badly he wanted this.

“I’ll be right back.” With that Five was gone in a blue flash. 

Klaus closed his eyes and took in a deep shaky breath. He could hear the fall breeze outside his bedroom window. He could only imagine how beautiful it must_ feel_ out there right now. He wanted so desperately to experience it. 

_He knew this may be his last chance to be able to_...

“Klaus, do you think that’s wise? In your condition?” Ben was sitting at the foot of his bed watching him. 

Klaus opened his eyes and looked at Ben. He knew he meant well, but Klaus didn’t want to hear everyone telling him it wasn’t a good idea. He didn’t care if it was or not, he wanted to get at least one last chance to experience his favorite time of year.

“Ya know, Ben, I’m not dead yet. Let me live a little.” He smiled at Ben with a half smile. Ben simply returned the gesture.

“I hope they say yes, then.”

Klaus nodded and closed his eyes again.

“Me too.”

Klaus’s bedroom door opened, Five walked into the room followed by the rest of his siblings. Klaus opened his eyes and tilted his head to the right to look at them.

“Five said you want to go outside today?” Vanya asked.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Klaus. It’s been chilly out, the last thing you need is to get sick—“ Luther stated a little hurriedly, Klaus cut him off, though.

“The last thing I _need_ is to be held captive inside this house.” His siblings looked at each other and then back to Klaus, who continued.

“Do you hear that?” Klaus asked, cupping his palm to his ear to emphasize.

“That’s the sound of the wind. It’s fall outside, guys. Fall is my _favorite _time of the year. I just—“ Klaus paused to wipe a tear from his face.

“I just..I don’t know how much time I have left. I just want to be able to experience my favorite time of year. At least one last time.” Klaus’s lips began to tremble. 

It was scary to him how weak he was, he could tell he was fading, he knew he didn’t have much time left on this earth. He just wanted to enjoy the little things that brought him so much joy in his life. 

He needed to experience it one last time.

“Please, guys, please. Just let me have this.”

His siblings looked at him with tears in their eyes. How could they deny their brother the simple pleasure of experiencing his favorite time of the year?

“Of course, Klaus. Come on, let’s go outside.” Luther went to Klaus’s side and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Klaus grabbed ahold of it, and held it as tight as his weak hands could muster. He looked sadly into Luther’s eyes, smiling at him appreciatively.

“Thank you, really. You don’t know how much this means to me.” 

Luther nodded and returned the smile. He leaned over, picking Klaus up bridal style. Diego came up beside them and grabbed Klaus’s oxygen tank and IV pole. Together, all of the siblings carefully retreated out of Klaus’s bedroom. 

They made their way to the end of the hallway, down the stairs, and walked through the back doors, as a family. Vanya grabbed a blanket on her way to the yard. 

As soon as they were outside, Klaus’s eyes widened in amazement. 

Fall must have started a little early this year, he hadn’t expected the leaves to be _this beautiful_ already. 

A soft breeze ruffled the curls on his head and sent a tingle down his spine. His frail body involuntarily started to shiver from the sudden chill.

“Are you cold?” Five asked, noticing Klaus’s trembling. Klaus ignored the question, though. He didn’t want them to turn around and bring him right back inside. He closed his eyes for a moment to savor this feeling. 

Fall always had a special scent to it, he thought. It was Klaus’s favorite smell. 

The turning of the leaves, and the cooler weather. The distant scent of fire pits, and roasting marshmallows. It was always beautiful to him.

“Can we sit under the grandfather oak in the Far East corner? That’s my favorite spot to come out here to relax.” He asked quietly. 

Luther smiled down at his ailing brother.

“Absolutely, buddy.” Luther carried Klaus to his favorite spot and gently sat him down, propping his back against the trunk of the oak tree. Vanya wrapped him up in the blanket she grabbed, and he curled up inside of it, relishing the warmth it provided his delicate figure.

“Thank you, Van.” She smiled and tucked a curl behind his ear, earning a sleepy grin in return. 

Luther sat beside Klaus to his right, and Diego to his left. Both brothers wrapped a supporting arm around Klaus to ensure he was comfortable. 

All of the siblings gathered around Klaus in a circle. Even Ben sat in the circle across from Klaus, squeezed in between Vanya and Five. Ben smiled at Klaus, who smiled tiredly back.

This spot meant to much to Ben...

When they were little, he and Klaus would often times come out here to spend time together. Sometimes, Klaus would be naughty and smoke weed, but other times, they’d just come here to talk, typically to vent about their hard days of training. Or sometimes, they would just read together in silence, just appreciating each other’s presence. 

This was _their_ special spot.

This was also the spot where Klaus was so selfless and conjured Ben that first time after the apocalypse. He was sick then, but still took the time to make sure Ben got a chance to just enjoy some silly waffles. 

It was surreal being here again with Klaus. It was crazy to see how little time had gone by, and how different Klaus had become already. 

_He was so weak, it was scary_...

When Ben died, it was sudden. Just a quick burst of pain, and then it was gone. The pain, his life—Quickly evaporated in a split second. For Klaus, it was much different. 

_Klaus was suffering_...

He was slowly withering away, his life fading into eternity at such a slow rate. The saddest part was, that to Ben, it was flying by so quickly. Maybe even to Klaus it was, too. But the amount of time dragging out, forcing his brother to stay in pain was killing Ben to watch. He didn’t want Klaus to die, but he didn’t want him to have to suffer any longer, either.

Klaus’s eyes pinched shut and he let out a soft groan as a quick wave of pain shot through him. The pain medication helped a lot, but couldn’t take away _all _of his pain. He didn’t complain, though. It was still much better than it was before. 

“You alright, Klaus?” Vanya asked, eyeing him worriedly. He opened his eyes and smiled at her, curling into his blanket more.

“I’m okay.” He paused as a cool breeze plucked a few leaves from the oak tree, sending them gently tumbling past him. Klaus let out a deep sigh, his smile going lopsided.

“I really hope I can make it until Halloween, that’s always been my favorite holiday. I think it would be so fun if we could all dress up this year.” He giggled at the thought.

Luther laughed.

“Dress up, as what? It’s been years since we did that, Klaus. You have any suggestions?” Klaus’s smile grew wide again, a high pitched chuckle busting through his lips.

“Of course! Luther, you could be a firefighter, Diego, a burglar. Five could be..” He trailed off to consider, then snapped his fingers pointing at Five as he continued.

“A cute cuddly bunny rabbit.” Klaus couldn’t contain his laughter at that. _Especially_ after the face Five made at it. 

“Vanya could be an artist, Allison a goddess.”

“What about you, Klaus? What would you be?” Vanya asked, smiling into her knees that were pulled against her chest. 

Klaus seemed to pause and contemplate that. 

What could he be? 

“I could be..a princess! It’d be simple, really. I could wear a tiara and a feather boa. Easy peasy lemon squeezey! And I would look _dashing_, if I do say so myself.” His siblings all smiled and laughed at Klaus’s words.

They couldn’t help but feel anguish, though. They honestly didn’t know if Klaus _would_ make it to Halloween. He was fading more and more each day. They only hoped, for his sake, that he would. 

“You would look beautiful, Klaus.” Said Allison with a dazzling smile. 

Klaus’s eyes widened at his sister, a happy tear trailing down his cheek. 

Allison spoke—_actually spoke_—not just a _whisper_.

“Ally..” He began. He was just so happy, so completely overwhelmed with the joy of finally hearing his sisters beautiful voice. He wanted this so badly.

“You..you can talk.” Klaus’s smile only grew wider and wider. His energy, however, was beginning to fade. His head toggled slightly, he struggled to keep his eyes open any longer.

Allison smiled and a soft giggle escaped her lips. A real giggle, not a muted one. The sound of it made Klaus’s heart sing. 

_God, he missed that sound_..

Allison noticed how Klaus’s energy was fading, she noted his tired eyes. She crawled closer to him, Luther scooting over and allowing their sister to squeeze in against Klaus, pulling him against her side. He rested his tired head against her shoulder.

“I missed your voice. It’s so..so beautiful..” She could tell he was struggling to stay awake. She kissed the top of his head, earning another smile from her frail brother. She ran her fingers through his hair and leaned her head in close to his, resting her cheek against his curls. 

And she started to _sing_..

“_The other night dear, as I lay sleeping, I dreamt I held you in my arms_..” 

Klaus nuzzled closer to Allison, a happy sob escaping his tired lips. He couldn’t hold back his tears. 

He’d wanted for this for so long..

“_But when I awoke dear, I was mistaken, so I hung my head and I cried_..”

Klaus tiredly joined his sister in singing the next verse.

“_You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are gray_..”

Klaus’s energy quickly faded, his voice wavering. He couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer. So he closed them, with a bright smile on his face, before falling asleep to the beautiful sweet melody of Allison’s voice.

“_You’ll never know dear, how much I love you_..”

“_Please don’t take my sunshine away_..”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’all, I don’t know what it was about this chapter, but I was bawling while writing it lol 
> 
> Maybe it’s the song? I’ve always gotten emotional over you are my sunshine, ever since I was little. I don’t know why. Did anyone else cry? Or am I just crazy? Let me know! Lol 
> 
> Oh—quick note, I’m aware that they’ve probably never dressed in costumes, I doubt Reggie would’ve allowed it, but I’d like to think they did it behind his back when they could. Also, I see stories where Klaus doesn’t like Halloween because the veil is thinnest then..but, idk, I feel like he would totally love that holiday! It’s spooky and totally fits his aesthetic. Call me crazy, but I could see it being his favorite. Just sayin haha
> 
> And of course, thank you all so much for reading! Thank you for all of your lovely comments thus far! Thank you to everyone who has subscribed, bookmarked, given kudos, etc! I appreciate you all so much!! Thank you again!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys, there is only ONE CHAPTER LEFT for this story, I have to admit, it’s a rather bitter sweet moment for me. This is the first multi chapter story I’ve ever written, and actually completed, I’m excited to see how you all react to the ending of this one!
> 
> Please, if you read and enjoy, please let me know in the comments! Comments give us writers a reason to keep posting! We love to see your feed back!
> 
> I hope you enjoy! :)

**OCTOBER 1st **-

Klaus was sleeping soundly in his bed, his covers pulled to just below his chin. A soft knock on the door, and the sound of it quietly swinging open alerted Five, who was laying next to Klaus on the bed, with his arm delicately slung across his brothers waist, that it was time for them to wake up.

“Five, why don’t you head downstairs, we will be down in a minute.” Luther whispered, quietly entering into the bedroom. Five sat up slowly, as to not disturb their brother. He stretched his arms above his head and let out a yawn. 

“Okay, see you guys in a few.” Five gently ruffled Klaus’s hair, earning a smile from his slumbering form. Five smiled fondly at his brother before disappearing in a blue flash.

Luther walked over to the bed and sat down beside Klaus. He didn’t want to wake him _just_ yet. It was still rather early, and Klaus needed all the rest he could get. 

Klaus had been sleeping more and more the last two days. It was beginning to really worry his siblings. He just didn’t seem to have much energy left in his reserves anymore, he almost seemed to just be puttering along, never fully charged. 

It just really put into perspective just how weak their brother had already become. The doctor said he was living on borrowed time, but it was becoming painfully evident that their dear brother didn’t have very much time left.

Luther sat there with Klaus, just watching the rise and fall of his chest. He looked so peaceful, so small. He reminded Luther almost of a child. A very sick, frail child. 

He sat like that for some time, just admiring his brother, watching him sleep. He relished in knowing he was still _here_, still with their family. He never wanted this moment to end.

But, he knew that eventually, it would need to.

After a while, Luther knew it was time to wake Klaus. His family planned something special for him for today, and he was excited to share it with him. Luther gently laid his hands on Klaus’s shoulder, softly nudging him awake.

“Klaus, it’s time to wake up.” Klaus’s eyes fluttered and opened into slits. He breathed in deep from his nose, his chest expanding, then he released the air with a yawn.

“Morning, Luther.” Klaus greeted with a soft smile.

“Morning, Klaus. Come on, I have something to show you.” He leaned down to gather Klaus up into his arms.

“Ooh, show me? What is it?” He asked almost giddily.

“Can’t tell you, it’s a surprise.” Klaus let out an exaggerated gasp.

“Oh, I love surprises! How fun!” Luther just smiled at Klaus. He admired how strong he was. He admired how he still could find the joy in his life even when he was so ill. 

_Luther always loved that about Klaus_...

He carried him out of the bedroom, and made it to the top of the stairwell.

“Close your eyes, okay? I’ll tell you when to open them.” Klaus weakly clapped his hands and closed his eyes.

“Ooh goody, how exciting!” Luther descended the stairs, and walked into the living room. He gently deposited Klaus onto the couch before stepping away.

“Okay, Klaus. Open your eyes!”

Klaus opened his eyes and immediately he was so overwhelmed with an immense amount of pure joy.

The entire living room was decorated with Halloween decor— there were cob webs, fake spiders, cauldrons, fun colorful lights. There was even a fog machine!

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY-WEEN!” All of his siblings chorused, Allison jogged up to Klaus and wrapped her pink boa over his shoulders, as Vanya laid a silver tiara on his head. Allison stepped back, just admiring Klaus, still loosely grasping the very ends of the boa. She looked him up and down and smiled warmly at him.

“I was right, you _do _look beautiful!”

Klaus’s smile was huge. He was so happy. He couldn’t believe they went through all this trouble just for him.

“As do you, Aphrodite. Greek Goddess, nice touch.” She smiled warmly at Klaus. 

Vanya sat beside him on the couch, she was dressed as Bob Ross. He had to stifle a laugh.

“Wow, Vanya, I know I said an artist, but you chose the best one!” She smiled fondly at her brother, gently bumping her shoulder against his. Klaus pressed his forehead against hers and smiled back.

Diego was standing behind the coffee table. Klaus looked at him, his jaw dropped, and eyebrows furrowed as he pointed accusingly.

“Hey, where’s your costume? You’re supposed to be a burglar!” Diego was wearing his usual outfit, only he wore his domino mask to add to the effect.

“What do you mean, I am dressed as one!” Klaus shook his head.

“Nu-uh!” Diego exhaled a chuckle and smirked. He walked up to Klaus, and stooped down in front of him.

“Fine,” He reached over and gently plucked the tiara from Klaus’s head, placing it on his own.

“I stole this, I’m a burglar. Happy?” Klaus let out a high pitched giggle.

“Yes, very much so.”

“You better appreciate me for this, Klaus—“ Klaus turned to the kitchen where Five’s voice came from. His eyes widened in surprise and pure unbridled joy when Five sauntered into the living room, dressed up as a cute and cuddly, PINK bunny! Klaus couldn’t help but swoon.

“Oh, how precious! Come on, Five. Do a little hop!” Five rolled his eyes but entertained his brother. He took a few hops forward before stopping. He shot Klaus the bird in the bunny suit (not that you could really tell, his hands were just a single gloved paw). Klaus knew what he meant, though. He pretended to catch the ‘bird’ before kissing it, and clutching it against his chest.

“I’ll cherish it always, thank you Five!” Five shook his head and smirked. Klaus could always make him laugh.

“You’re lucky I love you.” 

Klaus smiled so fondly at Five’s remark. It was a rarity their entire lives for Five to be so forward about his feeling, ‘I love you’ was never a common statement in his vocabulary. Needless to say, hearing Five say those words to him, it made Klaus feel unbelievably happy.

“I love you, too.” They both smiled at each other, simply savoring this moment.

Luther was struggling to remove his jacket. He finally got it off and flung it to the side, revealing that he was, indeed, dressed like the firefighter Klaus wished him to be. Klaus looked at Luther and let out an excited playful gasp.

“Wow, you guys even sprung for strippers? This is the best birthday-ween ever!” Klaus Joked. 

Luther blushed as everyone laughed at Klaus’s remark. Even sick, he could still find the humor in anything, and make a joke out of it. Diego whistled at Luther, earning a chuckle from him.

“Yeah, well, don’t expect a lap dance!” A chorus of laughter broke out amongst the siblings.

“Wait, what’s Ben dressed as?” Vanya asked.

Klaus looked to Ben who was sitting on the coffee table.

“Oh, he’s dressed as a ghost. He’s very, uh, committed to the role.” Klaus smirked at Ben, who smiled and winked in return, earning a giggle from Klaus, causing everyone to laugh along with him. 

Klaus looked around at his siblings. He was so happy, he could physically _feel_ the love in the room. He wanted to remember this moment forever.

“Happy Birthday-Ween everyone! Well? Let’s get this party started!” Klaus cheered. His siblings threw their hands in the air, and cheered in response, before Diego turned on the music. 

Klaus watched as his siblings danced along to all of his favorite Halloween songs— The Monster Mash, The Time Warp, I put a spell on you and Thriller, just to name a few. He was surprised that all of his siblings even seemed to learn the entire routine to Thriller. He had to admit, he was rather impressed. 

His siblings danced, and sang along to the music, and just had a wonderful time. Klaus just smiled, and watched from the couch. Ben sitting beside him, watching as well.

“This was awesome of them to do this for you. They really know how to throw a party, huh?”

Klaus smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, they really do.” 

A tear slipped down Klaus’s cheek. He was so _happy_ his siblings did this for him, so _grateful_.

Deep down in his heart he knew, and his siblings knew, that he _wouldn’t_ make it to Halloween this year...

He was so thankful and appreciative that his siblings ensured that he still got to enjoy his favorite holiday, one last time. 

This was undoubtedly Klaus’s best Halloween, and Birthday to date. He smiled more, laughed more, and he got to spend it with the people he _loved most _in his life. For that, Klaus would be forever grateful. 

Klaus felt himself growing increasingly drowsy again as more time went by. He leaned himself against the couch and rested his head onto the back of it. He closed his eyes and just continued to smile.

“Happy Birthday-ween, Ben.”

“Happy Birthday-Ween, Klaus.”

—-

**OCTOBER 5th **-

Klaus fell asleep on the couch at some point during their Birthday-Ween celebration, and hadn’t woken up since. 

It had been four days, and his siblings were terrified. They never left his side, worried that any second would be his last.

It was approaching two in the afternoon, and thank God, he _finally_ began to stir.

Klaus’s eyes clenched tighter before finally opening. 

“Hey, buddy. How are you feeling?” Diego asked, gripping Klaus’s hand in his own. Klaus blinked the sleep out of his eyes, and peered around the room at his siblings. They all looked sad, or scared. Was that a tear in Diego’s eyes?

“I’m okay, just a little sleepy.” He watched his siblings all take a sigh of relief.

“Why? What happened?” Klaus looked at his siblings worriedly. He didn’t understand why they all seemed so upset?

“You just..you’ve been asleep a long time, Klaus. We were worried about you.” Luther informed him. Klaus blinked his eyes a few more times.

“How long?” He finally asked. His siblings glanced at each other before Vanya finally stepped forward and spoke up.

“Four days, Klaus. You’ve been asleep for four days.”

_Four days_?! He’d been sleeping for four days? So much precious time, wasted! That news startled Klaus. He knew he was tired, but.. four days? He pinched his eyebrows in confusion. 

“Oh,” He began. Klaus cleared his throat before swallowing the saliva that he had in his mouth.

“Well, I’m awake now. Let’s watch a movie or something.” He needed to get up. He couldn’t lay in this bed. He couldn’t let another day pass him by.

“You sure you’re up for it, Klaus?” Vanya asked, looking at him with concern in her eyes. He nodded, he needed to wake up. He needed to spend time with his family.

“Absolutely.” 

Luther nodded and picked Klaus up. The siblings made their way down into the living room. Diego sat down on the couch, and Luther deposited Klaus beside him. Diego pulled Klaus close to his body, which Klaus appreciated. He was still so tired, but he needed to do this.

“What do you want to watch, Klaus?” Vanya asked, picking up the remote control.

He sat there and pondered for a moment.

Truth be told, he couldn’t think of anything in particular he wanted to watch. 

“How about we re-watch Hitch? We never did get to finish it. Plus, I wasn’t really paying attention last time.” 

Hitch was the movie they were watching the night they all found out about Klaus’s swelling and fluid in his abdomen. The night before they found out he has cancer. 

“Unless you want to watch something else, I’m up for whatever.” His siblings shook their heads.

“No, no, Hitch sounds great!” Allison assured him.

“Ok, great!” Everyone took a seat around the television set, as Vanya searched for the movie once more. Five disappeared for a moment, reappearing once again with popcorn. He also brought Vanya a soda. They all turned their attention towards the TV, as Vanya found the movie. Five sat forward, snapping his fingers.

“Ah, one last thing.” Five stated, a blue light flashed and he disappeared. He reappeared in front of Klaus. 

Five unfolded a blanket and draped it over his brothers body, pulling it up to right beneath his chin.

“Here, this time I’ll even tuck you in.” The brothers smiled fondly at one another before Five simply turned and walked back to his own seat.

The siblings watched the movie together. Klaus savored every minute he could of it, laughing when he could. He would even crack a joke here, or there. A few times he found himself starting to drift off, but he quickly stopped himself. He refused to waste anymore of his time he had left. He would spend actual quality time with his family.

_While he still could_.

—-

**OCTOBER 13th **-

Klaus still slept more than usual, often times for nearly eleven or twelve hours at a time, but he requested his siblings start waking him up to spend time with him. He wanted to enjoy his time with them, he asked them to start doing activities and including him. Even if most of the activities all he could do was watch. 

He would rather watch and enjoy from the sidelines, than sleep and miss out on anything else. 

Today, he asked if they could have a family game night. The siblings all loved the idea, they even went out of their way to pick some games that they knew Klaus could participate it.

They all sat in the living room together. They played a round of charades, which was always one of Klaus’s all time favorite games. He only acted out the scene a few times, but it was too difficult for him to after a short period of time, he was just too weak. So, he opted to just call out the answers. 

Five was acting out a scene.

“Two words!” Klaus would call.

“Movie!” He was always excellent at this game.

“Ooh, oh, Iron Man!”

“Jesus, you’re so good at this game, Klaus!” Allison praised him. So far he had won nearly every round. 

Next, the siblings played cards against humanity. Klaus always loved this game, because it was rather vulgar at times, but always funny. 

Surprisingly, Luther was the triumphant winner with the best cards. Five swore up and down he cheated. Klaus just laughed and watched them argue. 

_God, he was going to miss this_..

They played games for _hours _that day. Charades, Cards against humanity, Operation— which Klaus sucked at, but he loved to watch the looks of concentration on his siblings faces. 

Especially Five’s, who would knit his eye brows together and stick his tongue out! 

He loved watching Five just getting the chance to be a kid again. It made Klaus sad that he never had the opportunity to watch Five grow up. Now, he would be missing out on that chance once again. 

He was just happy he was getting moments like this, moments to watch him just be a kid. Moments where _all _of his siblings could just be kids. Having fun with each other, laughing with one another. Truly being happy, _together_. 

These were precious moments to him. Any small fragment of time Klaus got to spend with his family made his heart swell with so much joy, so much love. These were truly his most precious gifts in his life. He was beyond grateful for these moments. He knew he would cherish any seconds he got with his family forever.

He only wished he would get the chance to form more memories with his family, just like these..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll be honest guys, I almost didn’t post this chapter today. I’ve had a really rough last couple of days, I just learned one of my dearest friends committed suicide and I’ve not been handling the news of his death very well. I procrastinated editing and posting this, but, I couldn’t let you guys down. It would really cheer me up if you would all leave a comment about my story, I could really use a reason to smile right now.
> 
> The final chapter will be up on Wednesday guys! I still can’t believe it’s so close to the end! Don’t forget, there will be a HUGE announcement at the end of that chapter, so be sure to read the final authors note at the end!
> 
> AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU everyone who has read, commented, subscribed, bookmarked, given kudos, etc. I hope you all know how much it means to me, and just how much I appreciate each and every single one of you. Hold your friends and loved ones a little bit tighter tonight, and don’t ever let a day go by that you don’t tell them how much you care about them, and how much they truly mean to you!
> 
> Thank you all again for all of your lovely support!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS IT GUYS!! The final chapter!! This story was a real emotional rollercoaster. It made me laugh, mostly cry, and has connected me with all of you lovely people! I truly am grateful for every ounce of support you all have shown me and this story! So, thank you, from the bottom of my heart! Truly! Over 250 comments, nearly 400 kudos, 72 bookmarks and over 6,179 hits—you guys are truly one of a kind, thank you!
> 
> As always, if you enjoy, PLEASE leave a comment for me down below!! This is your last chance!
> 
> **I humbly ask that if you’ve followed along to this story, even if it’s been silently from start to finish, that you please comment on this chapter and let me know what you thought, how you’re feeling, etc! It would make me so incredibly happy!**
> 
> I won’t hold you guys too much longer, but as a reminder, be sure to read the ending authors note, there’s a HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT waiting for you all! Be sure to let me know how you’re feeling about that in the comments as well!!!
> 
> Again, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! And as always, please, ENJOY! :)

**OCTOBER 29th **-

Every day, Klaus’s siblings would wake him up— just as he requested them to, so that he could spend quality time with them. 

Creating new, _beautiful_ memories that each of them could cherish for many years to come. 

Every day, he happily would be carried downstairs, whether it be to watch TV, or movies. Sometimes, he would just watch his siblings play video games, or sit with them while they would gather around the table to eat their meals, together, as a family.

Every day, he looked forward to this time. He looked forward to getting out of his bed for a while, and just being surrounded by his siblings. 

_Be close to the people he loved more than anything else in this world_...

_Every day_, it took every ounce of his energy to do-so, but he wouldn’t give these moments up for anything. He _craved_ these moments each and every day. 

They brought him so much joy, gave him something to look forward to every morning when he awoke. 

He would lie in bed every night, and dream excitedly of what brand new adventures he and his family would go on together the next day. 

These precious moments gave his life _meaning_, lit a fire within him to keep fighting, keep going, keep _living_..

Today though, Klaus felt somehow more exhausted than he had been in a while. He was so tired, and he was feeling more pain today than he had in quite some time. He opened his eyes tiredly, his green orbs meeting Diego’s lovingly soft brown ones. 

Diego was laying with him in bed, cradling Klaus against his chest. His arms wrapped within his own. Klaus felt so warm, so comfortable, aside from the bursts of pain he kept getting. He felt so safe wrapped in his brothers embrace.

“Morning, Klaus.” Diego greeted softly with his kind smile. Diego ran his fingers through Klaus’s hair, which he relaxed into, laying his head back against his brothers strong chest. 

“Morning Di.” Klaus said tiredly. He closed his eyes again as a wave of exhaustion overtook him. 

_He was just so tired today_...

His bedroom door opened, and Allison entered the room, smiling lovingly at her brothers.

“Good morning, boys. Klaus, what kind of exciting adventures would you like to have today? I was thinking we could maybe watch some of our old surveillance ‘home videos’.” She suggested softly, her velvety laugh making him smile. 

Klaus opened his eyes into slits. He would love to watch those videos, look back at his time as a child with his siblings. Sadly, he just didn’t think he had enough energy for it today, though. 

_He simply wasn’t feeling up to it_...

“Actually, I’m..rather tired today.” He stated softly.

“Oh, that’s ok. We can let you sleep in for a while if you’d like, we can come back—“ Allison started, turning to leave.

“No, actually. Can..can you all just sit with me today?” He asked softly.

“Please?” 

He closed his eyes again, cuddling himself closer into Diego’s arms. He clenched his eyes tighter as a sharp pain emanated through his abdomen.

Diego and Allison looked to Klaus, and then to each other. They could tell how tired Klaus was. It scared them, honestly. 

Every day he wanted to get up, he was doing so well, they were having so much fun together. 

But, if he wanted to stay in bed for a day to rest, then he should be able to. 

They would all come to him and keep him company while he rested. It was the least they could do— he would be exhausted and stay with them while they did all kinds of activities. 

He earned this day of relaxation. 

“Of course, Klaus. I’ll be right back.” With that, Allison left the room to gather their siblings. 

Diego just grasped onto his brother tighter. He watched Klaus inhaling steady deep breaths. 

_He looked so tired_...

Klaus clenched his eyes again and groaned softly as another surge of pain tore through him.

“You okay, Klaus?” Klaus’s tired eyes fluttered and opened into slits. He peered over to Diego and smiled, clutching his hand into his own.

“I’m okay. Just tired, and a little sore. Will you stay here with me, like this? I’m so comfy.” His eyes closed again, his head lulling back against Diego’s chest. Diego smiled lovingly down at his brother. He leaned closer to Klaus, planting a kiss into his curls. Klaus nuzzled closer into his brothers comforting, loving touch. 

“I’ll stay as long as you’ll have me.” Klaus smiled against his chest and hummed in reply. 

A few moments passed, and Allison returned to the room, followed by Vanya, Luther and Five. Klaus opened his eyes, and smiled a huge genuinely happy grin to his siblings, outstretching one of his frail thin arms out towards them.

“Hey, guys!” He breathed happily. His siblings all circled around him, each one taking a seat near him on the bed. Allison grabbed his hand, curling up at the head of the bed beside Diego. Vanya and Five crawled onto the bed, seating themselves against the wall. Luther sat at the foot of the bed by his feet. 

“It’s so good to see you guys, sorry I’m such a bore today. I’m just so tired..” Klaus began to apologize. Allison squeezed his hand as Five spoke up.

“You never have to apologize for being tired, Klaus. You’re allowed to rest.” His siblings all voiced their agreement.

“Thanks, guys.” Klaus swallowed saliva he had in his mouth before continuing.

“Will you guys tell me stories?” Luther laughed softly and leaned forward towards Klaus, lovingly laying his hand on his ankle.

“Sure, buddy. What kind of stories would you like to hear?” Klaus opened his eyes and looked at Luther, smiling warmly at his brother.

“Tell me stories from our childhood.” 

Luther nodded and sat back, gently rubbing Klaus’s ankle as he began a story.

“Sure,” He started.

“Do you remember the time you got all of us in trouble after that Texas mission? Dad wanted us to come back to the academy and run laps for three hours straight, because you thought it would be a good idea to moon the camera on live television!” Klaus chortled at the memory. 

“Yeah, dad was pissed! It was worth it though, my booty was a hot topic on the tabloids for a few weeks after that.” Klaus continued to weakly laugh at the memory.

Five shook his head as a chuckle escaped his lips.

“Oh, yeah, I remember that! Wasn’t it in the newspaper? What was the headline again?” He asked, trying to recall what it said.

“Full moon, more like PALE moon!” Diego relayed with a snicker. The siblings laughed and laughed.

“Hey, I can’t help that I have an extremely white ass. I have a fair complexion!” Klaus gestured to his face as he said it, earning more laughter from his siblings. 

“Or, remember the time you stole dads car when we were fifteen? You were drunk, no less, and crashed it into a ditch. It was a miracle you weren’t hurt. You stumbled all the way back home laughing! Then, you marched right up to dad and said, ‘_Hey, old man, where’s your car? GONE! Good luck finding it_!’ And of course he did, cause it was right up the street. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him more pissed. But, you were so proud of yourself! I remember thinking, oh my God, Klaus is either the bravest, or dumbest person to ever live!” Vanya was laughing so hard at the memory she had tears in her eyes. Klaus looked at her with the biggest smile.

“Definitely the latter, unfortunately. He locked me in the mausoleum for two days after that.” He exhaled a tired laugh.

“It was worth it, though. I got to steal his car, crash it AND yell at him. Great times..” 

Five smiled fondly at Klaus, a more recent memory popping into his head to share. He knew he had to tell this story to his siblings.

“Klaus, remember when you pretended to be my dad when we tried to find out information about the glass eye at Meritech?”

Klaus smirked at the memory.

“Pshyeah, how could I forget, I definitely deserved an Oscar for that performance.” He laughed tiredly.

The siblings smiled, and glanced around to Klaus, and then to Five.

“I never heard this story, what happened?” Allison asked, adjusting herself on the bed to listen better. Five laughed, leaning forward to explain.

“Klaus dressed up in one of dad’s old suits and went with me to get info about that eye. Who it belonged to, you know, all of that. Well, the guy refused to give us any information! Klaus would not take no for an answer, though. You guys would have been proud!” Five shook his head as his smile grew wider before he continued.

“They kept saying we didn’t have consent to know who owned the eye. Well, Klaus goes ‘_Who gave you consent to lay your hands on my son_?’ Of course, neither myself or Grant, or Lance? Whatever his name was—anyways, we didn’t know what the hell he was talking about. The guy says ‘_I never touched your son_’ which, he didn’t. But Klaus just says ‘_Oh? Well, then how did he get that swollen lip then_?’ then Klaus, the crazy bastard, gets up and smacks me across my face!” Both brothers laugh at the memory. The rest of the siblings chorusing in as well.

“Then, Klaus just continues! ‘_I want it, name please, now_.’ The guy calls him crazy!” Five just laughs harder before continuing.

“Klaus just laughed and said ‘_you got no idea_.’ he picks up, get this—a snow globe—and says ‘_peace on earth, that’s so sweet_’ before he smashes it against his head!” 

Luther’s jaw dropped, and Diego let out a deep laugh as the girls just shook their heads while they snickered.

“God, that hurt.” Klaus breathed with a soft chuckle recalling the memory, gently rubbing his forehead where he hit himself all those months ago. Diego chuckled and ruffled his brothers hair, earning a smile from his tired sibling. Five kept retelling the story.

“So the guy calls security, right, and Klaus grabs the phone and says—“ 

“_There’s been an assault in Mr.Big’s office, and we need security now, schnell_!” Klaus relayed from memory, mimicking the way he said it as much as he could through his breathlessness. Everyone burst out laughing.

“I wish you guys could have seen it. Klaus took control! Told him he had about 60 seconds before two security guards would burst through the door. He said they’d see a bunch of blood, and wonder what the hell happened. He says ‘_we’re going to tell them you beat the shit out of us_!’ Continues to tell him how a little piece of chicken like him was going to do great in prison, get passed around. The guy called Klaus a sick bastard and Klaus, with a serious face, just says ‘_thank you_’ I swear—I almost burst out laughing right then!” Klaus smiled and patted Five’s knee. Five grabbed his hand and smiled so fondly back at his brother.

“I was so proud of you, Klaus. I mean it. The way you took control, had that guy terrified he was going to jail. And you did it with a smile the whole time. Even when blood was pouring down your face. I know I didn’t even thank you then. But, thank you Klaus. I know we didn’t get the info we needed, and I’m sorry I never gave you your $20, you absolutely earned it, and an award with that performance. But, seriously, thank you. I don’t think I have ever been more proud of you in my entire life more-so than in that moment. You were amazing.”

Klaus had to blink back his tears. It was so nice to hear Five say he was proud of him. He never remembered anyone ever being proud of anything he ever did in his life. He nodded and smiled at Five, squeezing his hand within his own.

“Thank you, Five. I’m glad I could do it. It was fun.” Five smiled, with tears in his eyes and gripped Klaus’s hand tighter before pulling it to his lips and placing a kiss against his knuckles. 

A moment of silence passed as the brothers just took a moment to appreciate how much they truly loved each other. Five cleared his throat and blinked his tears away before continuing to speak once more.

“Do you remember how you got your nickname?” Five asked, leaning over to peer at Klaus’s face.

“My nick name? The Klaus clown? I thought it was because I was always the joke of the family..” Luther shook his head in disapproval.

“Of course not, Klaus. Don’t ever think that, it couldn’t be further from the truth! You earned that nickname because you have always been able to make anyone smile, no matter the situation.” Klaus’s eyes watered once again at Luther’s statement. 

His whole life he thought it was them making fun of him for his mistakes. 

They genuinely meant it out of love?

“We had a hard mission..I think each of us came out with some kind of injury, _especially_ you. We had cuts, and bruises, but you broke your arm pretty bad, you were in a lot of pain. And yet, you made sure to come up to each of us and encourage us, telling us how great we were, how strong we were. You cracked jokes, and poked fun, and did everything in your power to make us smile and laugh. You made us forget about our sadness and our pain. You were always so unbelievably funny, Klaus. No one has ever been able to bring so much joy to my life, or any of our lives, as you. You’ve always had a gift for that. That’s why we found the nickname suited you so well. You were always a clown, the class clown—_our Klaus clown_.” Luther was looking at Klaus with so much love in his eyes. 

“I’ve always admired you for that, Klaus. Even now, during your sickness, even during your worst days, you’ve managed to always bring a smile to each and every one of our faces. You’ve managed to make us all laugh. You single handedly have brought this family together, uniting us closer than we ever have been. You are amazing, Klaus. I just hope you realize how special you truly are.” Klaus couldn’t hold back his tears. He smiled, genuinely smiled. He felt so happy, so loved. 

“Luther, thank you, really.” Klaus peered around the room to each of his siblings faces. They were all smiling, each with tears of joy in their eyes from the memories. 

Tears of joy from Luther’s kind words to their fading brother. 

Klaus never felt more loved in his entire life, than he did in this very moment.

“I hope you guys know how much I love each and every single one of you. I mean it, I love you.” He looked around the room to each of his beloved siblings, including Ben. 

Ben was watching him from the corner of the room the entire time, silently observing with a loving smile on his face.

“We love you, Klaus. More than you’ll ever know.” Klaus smiled at his siblings. He took in each of their expressions, recording their beautiful faces to his memory. He never wanted to forget their smiles, or the sounds of their laughter. 

His siblings continued to reminisce on stories from their youth— stories about Klaus and all of his crazy antics. They were their fondest memories of Klaus; some embarrassing, most of them _hilarious_, and all of them _happy_.

Klaus’s eyes were beginning to feel heavy. He cuddled closer to Diego, nuzzling his forehead against his brothers chin. He looked to the corner of his room and saw Ben. Ben just smiled at Klaus with tears in his eyes, he nodded at his ailing brother before fading from the room.

_Klaus knew where Ben went_..

Klaus closed his eyes and continued to listen to the stories of his youth replaying around him. 

He continued to listen to his siblings laughter, and absorb the sweet sound of happiness in their voices. 

Klaus fell asleep with a smile spread wide upon his face, curled against Diego’s chest. 

He was warm, he was comfortable, he was safe, and more than anything..

_He was loved_.

Klaus died right there in Diego’s embrace, surrounded by the people he loved most in his entire life—His family.

—-

“Welcome back, Klaus.”

Klaus opened his eyes and looked around himself. The scenery around him was black, and white, and beautiful. He sat up and stretched his arms above his head before rising to his feet. 

_He felt so healthy, so strong_...

His body was no longer frail, or weak. He looked, and felt like himself again. 

Klaus quickly turned around and was face to face with the little girl with her bicycle he met so many months ago. She smiled at him when their eyes met.

“Oh, hello again.” He sauntered towards her.

“So, I don’t suppose you’re going to toss me back again like last time, huh?” He joked with a goofy grin. 

‘God’ shook her head, and peered up into his eyes.

“No, it wasn’t your time then. It is now.” Klaus nodded his head and ran his fingers through his hair.

“Okay, fair enough. But, might I ask though, why couldn’t I have just died then? Before the cancer, and all the pain?” 

“Because, Klaus. Your family still needed you. I know it was difficult to see the bigger picture at the time, you were all focused on the impending apocalypse. But, had you died then, your family would have never learned the value of your worth to them. They would have never realized how important you were to them. They wouldn’t have realized how much they needed you, and loved you. You had to go through all of that pain with them, for them to see the real you, and for them to realize how much they truly loved you. So they could show you the love you always deserved.”

Klaus pursed his lips and nodded again.

“Ah, Okay, so I had to suffer so that they could appreciate me?” The girl shot him a crooked smile.

“Well, yes. But Klaus, it was also for you to appreciate and love yourself.”

Klaus looked at her with confusion. What did she mean? She noticed, and continued.

“Did you or did you not feel more love from your family in your final days, than you had in your entire life?” 

Klaus considered her words.

“Well, yeah..”

“Then that is why you are here now to stay.” 

Klaus smiled and nodded in understanding and acceptance.

“But, wait, I thought you didn’t like me?”

The girl laughed.

“I didn’t. I must admit though, you’ve come to grow on me.” Klaus exhaled a laugh through his nose before raising his eyebrows and leaning closer to the girl.

“Ah, well, you should really get that checked out.” Klaus winked at her, earning a smile in return.

“You’re family is right, you know. You always have had a gift at finding the light in everything. You’re a good person, Klaus. You always have been. I’m glad everyone, including you, finally got a chance to see that.”

Klaus smiled fondly at the girl. He was glad too.

“They prayed for you, you know. Every day, multiple times. They were so hopeful you would pull through.” Klaus shot her a sad smile.

“The Hargreeves, Pray? You know, dear girl, lying is a sin.” She laughed.

“They did. None of them prayed even once before your diagnosis. After, not a day went by where they didn’t send out a silent prayer.” He nodded.

“Ah, unanswered prayers, I’m afraid.” She smirked at him.

“That’s the common misconception about me. People assume that because I am the creator, I am able to shift the tides and bend reality to their wishes and prayers. I can hear them, yes, but only you can control and shape your own destiny. I had no hand in your end, Klaus. I simply left you to live it to get the closure you all needed.” Klaus closed his eyes, nodding to himself. 

A hand suddenly pressed against his shoulder, Klaus turned around and was greeted by Ben. The brothers smiled, latching onto each other, pulling each other into a tight embrace.

“Ben! Ben it’s so good to hold you again!” Klaus cried into his brothers shoulder. Ben was shaking in his brothers grasp.

“I’ve wanted this for so long, Klaus. I couldn’t stand to watch you suffer. I know it was so hard on you, I’m just glad you’re here now. I promised you I’d be here for you, brother. I’ll always be here for you.” The brothers just held onto each other and cried. 

Sure, they were sad. Klaus was dead, and they missed their siblings terribly. 

But, at least he was no longer suffering, and they were together in the end. 

They were happy for that, at least.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but, there’s someone who has been waiting a very long time for you, Klaus.” The little girl said from behind them. The brothers pulled away from their embrace and looked to the little girl. 

“_Klaus_?” They heard a voice in the distance. Foot steps were quickly approaching from behind them. The brothers faced the direction of the sound of the footsteps.

Klaus’s heart sang, a giant toothy grin spreading across his face as tears of joy freely cascaded down his cheeks. Ben looked between his brother and this newcomer, realization causing him to smile himself.

“Klaus, is that really you?”

Klaus laughed and took a step forward, arms reaching out towards the person who spoke. Their arms intertwining as their body’s embraced, nearly compressing themselves into one solid being. Klaus pulled away from the embrace, grabbing the newcomer by their face and staring deep into their beautiful blue eyes.

“Dave..”

Dave wiped a tear from Klaus’s face before pulling him close to him once more. Their lips pressed together in a kiss that both of them had waited their entire lives for.

Dave smiled lovingly at Klaus and just held him close. The two lovers stayed like that—and they would continue to share moments like these forever. 

At last, they were together again.

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who has taken the time to read this story from beginning to end! I cannot believe it’s over! I want to personally thank each and every single one of you who have read, commented, subscribed, given kudos etc on this story. You guys have been amazing each and every single week, I’ve genuinely enjoyed reading all of your kind words, and I truly hope you’ve enjoyed this story! 
> 
> This is it guys, it’s over!! 
> 
> Thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart, I honestly love and adore you all! Give yourselves a pat on the back, and a round of applause, you guys earned it! 
> 
> I promised there was a special announcement at the end of this story, so here it goes..
> 
> 1- I am currently working on TWO new stories! Both are multi chapters. One is based in Vietnam, and follows Dave and Klaus as they go on a solo mission together. It will explore how Klaus got his scar on his shoulder that we briefly saw on the show. I’m excited to share it with you all. There will be sweet tones, angst and blood. 
> 
> BUT, this next announcement is the major one, so I hope it excites all of you as much as it does me. 
> 
> Here it goes,
> 
> I loved this story so incredibly much, but I’ll admit, I didn’t love the end. I felt so terrible making Klaus die. I didn’t originally intend on doing that, it just kind of happened. SO, to make myself happy (and hopefully, all of you guys, as well) I’ve decided to write this story from a different perspective..
> 
> Only this time around, instead of Klaus losing Dave in Vietnam, and returning home alone, heartbroken, and forcing himself through withdrawals just to see him again, NOW Dave convinces Klaus to get off the drugs while still in Vietnam—causing them to find Klaus’s cancer much sooner. It will show the journey of Dave being there to help and support Klaus trough his cancer. It will be 20 chapters long, and I will post it once it is complete (I’m working on the 9th chapter now) 
> 
> I want your opinions on this: are you excited, do you think it’s a bad idea or concept? Do you think it’s a great idea? Are you more excited for that story than this one? 
> 
> I figured, I hadn’t seen a story where Dave supports Klaus through a severe illness, so I thought it may be kind of different and interesting. I hope you all feel the same, let me know down below in the comments!! 
> 
> I will only be posting 1 chapter a week from now on though to stretch the story out. Does anyone have a specific day they request? 
> 
> Also, I will be posting the first chapter to the alternative to this story this weekend so you all can subscribe to it if you’d like! But, I’ll be waiting to continue to post until it’s complete.
> 
> As always, I hope you’ve enjoyed this story you guys, you’re all rockstars! Thank you all again!! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! The first couple of chapters are kind of slow but I promise this story is a roller coaster full of emotion! It’s also complete! I will post 1-2 chapters a week so please, stay tuned! If you enjoy, PLEASE let me know! I would LOVE to hear any feed back!! Thank you so much!!! :)


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